2024 / National Geographic / Three episodes
Older than the dinosaurs, so incredibly alien, and masters of disguise, octopuses take center stage in National Geographic’s docuseries Secrets of the Octopus. Produced by award-winning filmmaker James Cameron and narrated by actor Paul Rudd, the three episodes don’t disappoint, with incredible photography, beautiful locations, and interesting commentary from experts.
The first installment, “Shapeshifters,” focuses on octopuses’ incredible ability to alter their body to suit the situation. Although they are colorblind, they can change colors and patterns in an instant as a camouflage tactic, to confuse predators, or to appear more intimidating. They can change shape to fit into incredibly tight spaces or impersonate other animals in a flash, such as when mimic octopuses contort their limbs into the shape of a predatory flounder. Some octopuses can even change their skin’s texture—from smooth to rough or even tufted.
The second episode, “Masterminds,” explores octopuses’ incredible ability to solve problems and use tools. This is especially impressive considering that octopus mothers die shortly after their eggs hatch, leaving their rice-sized young to learn independently how to hunt, avoid predators, and find shelter. The coconut octopus collects and manipulates shells for protection; such future-oriented tool use is known to occur in only 1 percent of the animal kingdom. Some octopuses will even come to shore—risking a temporary departure from the relative safety of their marine environment to “crawl” many meters over rocks in search of superior hunting grounds.
The final episode is titled “Social Networkers.” Although most octopuses are largely solitary, some routinely interact with each other and other species for their collective benefit—such as partnering with certain fish to flush out prey for both. And all octopuses must eventually find mates. For algae octopuses, the process involves a series of complex rituals. Octopuses reproduce using a “mating arm” or hectocotylus—a long tentacle that the male reaches out to the female to deliver a packet of sperm along a channel. The series ends by discussing how octopuses sleep and likely dream, with color changes depicting different sleep cycle phases. Scientists speculate that for octopuses—as with humans—sleep and dreams play an important role in consolidating memories, helping them become the amazing, adaptable, and ingenious survivors that they are.