The Shark-Eating Octopus - Movie

I found this video (rm) while surfing around for Biomimetics information. I wanted to share it with all you wonderful ATS folks. While it may not be Cryptozoology per se, it is something worth checking out, particularly if you are into Marine Biology. This was previously unobserved behavior, so I suppose it's sort of crypto. Anyways, check it out.

video.pbs.org:8080...

[edit on 20-3-2005 by WyrdeOne]

getting 'page unavailable' error?

pretty cool, I just wish the video was better quality.

The link works, you might just have to try it a few times. Very cool video Wyrde. Thats new news to me.

Originally posted by INFINITE8:

The link works, you might just have to try it a few times. Very cool video Wyrde. Thats new news to me.

How many times roughly? You seem to be very patient-
I tried it about 25 times, and got 25 times "808 Not Found" ... 20200 altogether.

Maybe someone can summarize the plot?

Sorry for those who didn't get a chance to watch it. They may have moved the link around if it was getting too much traffic from my link. I don't know.

Anyway, it shows a large octopus in captivity, the creature was recently moved into a jumbo shark tank in the aquarium. The caretakers noticed every morning when they got in to work there was another 3-4 foot shark missing. They had no idea what was causing it, I mean, sharks are supposed to be top of the food chain right? Well they set up a camera for a few nights to record what was going on in the tank, and lo and behold, they got video of this freakin' octopus stalking and killing a shark!

It struck like a snake, and wrapped one tentacle around the sharks dorsal fin to pull it down. Then, the octopus started biting the sharks face (you can't see anything, but the shark struggles for a while and then goes limp) and when the shark is dead or stunned, the octopus just dragged it off to a corner to feed on it.

Fascinating stuff. My suggestion is to try the video again, but I'm going to try and find the original home page where I got the movie, so y'all can see the other videos there as well.

Once again, my apologies for all who were dissapointed, I'll try to remedy the situation.

www.shashachu.com...
Scroll down a little to the entry with subject heading "reasons I am scared of the ocean #41"

I will try to find additonal sources.

Here's one. It's the first entry I believe.
www.tonmo.com...


[edit on 21-3-2005 by WyrdeOne]

[edit on 21-3-2005 by WyrdeOne]

pretty cool movie clip WyrdeOne, thanks . do u have any other interesting clips? ahha, it is very educating.

My views can all be conveniently summed up by Bash.org

shane: there is a special place in hell, down the hall from hitler, for real player

I'm sure it's a great video though.


Edit: Stupid html rendering

[edit on 3/26/2005 by Amorymeltzer]

OOPS. just goes to show we don't know everything.

i have a stupid question how come it took so long to realize something wasn't right?

in fact of all those "giant squid/octipi attacking ship" legends have now been proven "possible". i have heard a lot about giant cracken being found and now this. it seems plausible that ships were indeed attacked. that footage seems to match right on par with the description of those types of attacks. so how may other legends are true?

Originally posted by drogo
i have a stupid question how come it took so long to realize something wasn't right?

sorry, what? I don't understand.

A lot of legends aren't true at all. Most are usually based on something solid. Ships being atacked = giant squids washed up / whale sightings. mermaids = manatees. and so on.

amorymeltzer
You're half right, in my opinion. Most legends are based on illusions, dreams, embelishment and what not, but some are real. For example, the Kraken myth is not a myth, there are squid easily three times the length of the average 'Tall Ship' and since they hunt large prey it would make sense they might attack a vessel at sea.

There were sharks swimming the oceans that topped 50 feet, in some cases potentially much longer, that sort of beast gives a sailor pause.

The connection between manatees and mermaids is likely true. Some species of seals also 'lounge' on rocks at sea, and can give the appearance (especially to a sex starved sailor) of being somewhat human in shape. Like I said, some were inspired by dreams...

The giant birds, Rocs, were based on a very real, though extinct animal, the Elephant Bird. Check these pictures out.

Originally posted by WyrdeOne
amorymeltzer
You're half right, in my opinion. Most legends are based on illusions, dreams, embelishment and what not, but some are real. For example, the Kraken myth is not a myth, there are squid easily three times the length of the average 'Tall Ship' and since they hunt large prey it would make sense they might attack a vessel at sea.

I'm all right, in my opinion.

The ships weren't attacked by the squid, and thus those legends are embellishment as well.

Your other examples are perfect, even more great examples of what you/I are/am saying.

Amorymeltzer
I admit, the possibility than a vessel at sea was attacked by a deep sea giant squid is remote, but we can't say for sure that it never happened. To our knowledge it never happened, but the possibility is there.

One funny thing I thought to mention, despite the fact that sailors feared the large animals, and told tall tales about them, the really dangerous creatures were tiny bore worms weakening the hulls of the ships. Funny huh? Those tiny worms certainly killed more sailors than any squid.

The info about the Roc is interesting isn't it? I've been meaning to make some more detailed notes on the physiology, because there seem to be some abnormalities, maybe a poorly reconstructed fossil, I don't know. I just keep finding other stuff to preoccupy me, but when I get around to it I'll create a new thread for the biggest bird to ever live.

Awesome footage! Just a matter of time before they come up with a way to walk on land without suffocating. I for one will welcome our new octopi overlords!

Originally posted by WyrdeOne
One funny thing I thought to mention, despite the fact that sailors feared the large animals, and told tall tales about them, the really dangerous creatures were tiny bore worms weakening the hulls of the ships.

Funny huh? Those tiny worms certainly killed more sailors than any squid.

Life, as they say, is in the details.

Besides, it's far more interesting to get attacked than not. Better stories, and you sell more books. "I caught a fish [ ] this big!" "Yeah, well, a fish as big as a skyscraper attacked me!" It's easy to see how things get altered, real quick.

seems to come from a viable source, from what I hear octopi are really intelligent.

Originally posted by CaptainMooPoo
seems to come from a viable source, from what I hear octopi are really intelligent.

Yes, indeed, though it doesnt hurt they have no bones (can fit into a can) and have eight powerful suction arms.

The strength in their limbs is pretty impressive. It appears in the video that the octopus actually may have drowned the shark. Octopi are also poisonous, their jaws are envenomed, so that may have had something to do with it as well.

All in all, I think it's pretty incredible to think that the shark, natures 'perfect killing machine', has met its match against a humble invertebrate.



Go Octopi! How come no sports teams are named after these incredible animals?

They did a specail...was it NOVA, or National Geographic? It should be NOVA, all on octopi. And guess what? The Octupus would crawl out of it's tank, squidge across the table, without the benefit of water, crawl into the tank of crabs, grab one, drag it back to it own tank, then eat it. Never think that comming up out of the water would stop a octupus from what it wants to do. I'm quite sure it can take being on land, temporarily.

Edit: Oh, and we couldn't test the mighty kracken/cracker thingamajiggy now because too many of our boats that are the right size for dessert make too much noise for anything to want to eat it.

[edit on 30-3-2005 by jlc163]

Originally posted by WyrdeOne
Go Octopi! How come no sports teams are named after these incredible animals?

Not very catchy!

WOW, jlc, I had no idea. That's actually really amazing, unbelievably cool. Good find.

Slightly jarring, too. Very, very interesting.