Scientists Just Found Octlantis, an Underwater City of Octopuses off Australia — Here’s What They Saw Inside

Octopuses consistently rank among the top 10 smartest animals on this planet. They have eight arms, three hearts, and have existed for at least 328 million years. In other words, they are even more ancient than Homo Sapiens, or any other hominin species.

Octopuses are creatures that usually live solitary, away from any other individuals of their kind. Most of them only interact with other octopus when they are ready to mate, or in very few cases, to hunt together. Which is why, when scientists discovered a group of octopus working and living together as a community off the coast of Australia, it made noise in marine biology.

What Is Octlantis?

The scientists who discovered several octopuses living together like in an underwater town named it Octlantis. It is near Jervis Bay in Australia, which is about 10 to 15 meters deep and spans a stretch of ocean floor nearly 18 meters long.

Researchers estimated that about 15 octopuses are living in this spot alone. They all have made their own dens, covered with sand and shells. When they are not hunting for food, they usually stay nearby this area. Scientists also confirmed that it was not made by humans, and this community is entirely developed by the octopuses, once again highlighting their intelligence.

Read more: Smithsonian Magazine

How Do Octopuses Build Their Dens?

'Octlantis': Bustling Octopus Community Discovered Off Australia

Octlantis is not an actual city comparable to humans; however, scientists called it a “city” because it is a place where many octopuses live and interact. So, how did they create their own dens or homes?

The 10-hour footage that researchers captured shows that they used empty clam and scallop shells as the foundational materials. It is because these shelly piles offer a stronger footing and structure, rather than just digging around the soft sand.

The Octlantis was made in an area filled with small rock patches. Then, over several years or generations, the octopuses gathered shells around these rocks until they could sculpt their homes where they could live safely.

What Do Octopuses Do There?

According to experts, octopuses usually live alone, but in Octlantis, they do more than just that. They also communicate, fight, and even force others out of their own homes. This is very reminiscent of a human city, where neighbors might argue or compete for their own space.

This is also part of the mystery, because if octopuses like their personal area so much, why would they live together with a lot of others that also want the same thing? Normally, they are quiet creatures that specialize in hiding, with their ability to camouflage. But here, we can observe them being social, arguing, fighting, and showing their own unique personalities and feelings.

Read more: Science Alert

What Do Scientists Think Is Going On?

Scientists Discovered A Never-Before-Seen Octopus 'City' — And They Named It 'Octlantis'

One of the leading theories why Octlantis was created, along with Octopolis, a similar community of octopuses discovered in 2009, was the abundance of food in the area. However, there might not be enough space to create a den or a home that could protect them safely, which is why solitary octopuses settled nearby one another.

This theory explains why they argue and fight a lot, and even force their neighbors away. It also showcases how octopuses could be environmental engineers, capable of shaping their own surroundings to fit their needs, much like human beings.

Author's Final Thoughts

Octlantis is a real place under the sea, and experts think there might be a lot more others like it that we just haven’t discovered yet. The fact that octopuses that prefer to live alone built a city in this ocean spot tells us that the benefit outweighs the costs.

It could be because of the abundance of food and the lack of natural predators that could hunt them. Whatever the reason is, the existence of Octlantis, an underwater city of octopuses interacting and living together, is proof that this species really is one of the smartest and most clever, and that they might hold more secrets that we still do not know about.

Read next: Female Octopuses Throw Shells at Annoying Males — Here’s Why They Do It and How It Works