Octopus Pounces on Lasers in Papahānaumokuākea | Nautilus Live

We spotted so many cute and curious cephalopods while venturing into shallower depths exploring the southwestern margin of St. Rogatien Bank in Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary! At 323 meters (1,059 feet) deep, our team spotted saw a camouflaged individual that seemed to have the “zoomies” as it chased ROV Hercules’ green scaling lasers over the seafloor. Watching the cat-like curiosity behavior of this octopus reminds us of how intelligent cephalopods likely are, and hints at vision that is likely different for this twilight-depth living species, rather than its abyssal depth relatives. Further along the bank at 320 meters (1,049 feet), another octopus gave the explorers a fantastic view of its color-changing abilities. Using specialized pigment-filled cells called chromatophor