Marine biologists at the Pacific University of Alaska recently recorded the daily activities of a female Octopus named Heidi and found that it constantly changes colors in sleep, or confirmed that the octopus has dreams. Octopus has thousands of pigment cells. They usually change color and camouflage when hunting and eating, and hide themselves in the environment. Scientists speculate that Heidi may have dreamed that she caught a crab and hid and ate it.
The video released by American public broadcasting corporation is from the documentary octopus: contact, which will premiere on PBS on October 2. The protagonist of the documentary is Dr. David Scheel, a professor at the Pacific University of Alaska in Anchorage, and his Octopus Heidi. More interestingly, Dr. David Scheel speculates that the octopus Heidi changes color when dreaming.
In this documentary, Heidi shows his ability to solve puzzles, use tools and escape through a small space. It also behaves like a family pet because it has learned to recognize human faces. Heidi will become excited when humans are close. It even shows a tendency to play with Dr. David Scheel's daughter.
Octopus usually activate their camouflage abilities to respond to changes in their surroundings. So, does this video of Octopus Heidi changing colors during rest mean that he is dreaming? Maybe. Although the research on sleep and dreaming of cephalopods has increased a lot in recent years, there is still not enough evidence to determine whether they dream like humans. In an interview with foreign media, Dr. David Scheel said: 'first of all, I am not a sleep biologist, but I can answer the questions about Octopus sleep by reading and studying the literature on animal sleep. Unlike humans, octopus don't have a centralized brain. Instead, they have multiple & lsquo; Brain & rsquo;, Their nerve bundles are distributed in the limbs. Sleep can be identified by behavior. Studies have found that octopus and their close relatives cuttlefish have behaviors that meet the definition of sleep: they become quiet and have a weak response to external interference, but can be awakened. If there is a long lack of sleep, they will make up, and sleep longer. But their & lsquo; Brain & rsquo; It is active in these sleep behaviors. "
At present, Dr. David Scheel is committed to raising funds for the equipment improvement of the aquarium Laboratory of the Pacific University of Alaska. " I will further study the behavior and cognition of octopus. I am also trying to publish more field studies on the behavior of octopus in Alaska and Australia. Someone asked me about the cooperative investigation of sleep behavior, which will be a new direction for me. " Dr. David Scheel said.