An Octopus Will Wear Coconut Shell Armor
Between shape-shifting, camouflage skin, and ink release, octopuses have plenty of quality defense mechanisms. Still, their bodies are boneless and completely soft, other than their beaks, making them extremely vulnerable to injury. The veined octopus has found a clever way to protect itself from injury: a makeshift suit of armor made from discarded coconut shells. The cephalopod stack and carry two halves of a coconut shell under its body. At a moment’s notice, the shells are produced, and the octopus climbs inside, closing the two halves around its body. Researchers who studied the octopus’s tool use were stunned by its ability to plan ahead for protection against future attacks.