13/01/2026
Octopuses can be surprisingly rude.
Scientists have filmed octopuses suddenly slapping fish with an arm. There’s no chase, no attempt to eat them, just a quick hit. The fish darts off like it can’t believe what just happened.
It often happens during group hunts, when octopuses and fish work together to search the reef and corner prey. They’re meant to be a team, but sometimes the octopus snaps and lashes out at a fish nearby.
Researchers think it might be a way to control the group, especially if a fish is getting in the way or the hunt isn’t going well. And in some cases, there doesn’t seem to be any clear benefit at all. No extra food, no obvious threat, just a random-looking smack.
It’s tempting to call it attitude, because it looks so familiar: fast reach, solid thump, fish startled, octopus acting like nothing happened. We can’t say what the octopus “felt,” but the behavior is real, observed in the wild, and described in scientific work.
So if you imagine an octopus as quiet and shy, add this to the picture: a smart hunting partner who sometimes keeps the team in line, and occasionally does it with a slap.