page_title: Amphioctopus marginatus
section_title: Behavior and habits
hierarchical_section_title: Amphioctopus marginatus / Behavior and habits
caption_attribution_description: English: Octopus marginatus hiding between two shells from East Timor. This small octopus of no more than 4-5 cm in diameter was observed on a night dive, using one nut shell and one clam shell to hide between. When the octopus felt there was no threat, it came out of the shells and using the inner parts of its tentacles, proceeded to carry the shells while pulling itself along with the outer tips of the same tentacles. Sensing any threat, the octopus clamped itself shut between the shells with amazing speed.
context_page_description: Amphioctopus marginatus, also known as the coconut octopus and veined octopus, is a medium-sized cephalopod belonging to the genus Amphioctopus. It is found in tropical waters of the western Pacific Ocean. It commonly preys upon shrimp, crabs, and clams, and displays unusual behavior including bipedal walking and tool use.
context_section_description: The coconut octopus is found on sandy bottoms in bays or lagoons. It frequently buries itself in the sand with only its eyes uncovered.
  In March 2005, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, published an article in Science in which A. marginatus was reported to show bipedal locomotion. It is one of only two octopus species known to display such behavior, the other species being Abdopus aculeatus. The authors discovered this behavior in an area off Sulawesi, Indonesia, where the sandy bottom was littered with coconut shells. The bipedal motion appears to mimic a floating coconut.
  Researchers from the Melbourne Museum in Australia claimed the coconut octopus uses tools for concealment and defense by gathering available debris to create a defensive fortress. This behavior was observed in individuals in Bali and North Sulawesi in Indonesia. The researchers filmed the octopus collecting coconut half-shells discarded by humans from the sea floor.  They were then carried up to 20 meters (66 ft) and arranged around the body of the octopus to form a spherical hiding place similar to a clam-shell.
caption: Small (4-5 cm diameter) individual using a nut shell and clam shell as shelter
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