Ever wondered if octopuses have bad dreams? Turns out, they just might
Researchers observed a Brazilian reef octopus named Costello exhibiting bizarre behaviors during sleep. While snoozing, Costello would suddenly thrash his tentacles, change colors, and even release ink actions usually tied to predator evasion. Scientists believe he may have been reliving trauma in his dreams.
Octopuses experience two sleep stages: ‘quiet’ and ‘active’ sleep. During active sleep, they change skin colors rapidly, curl their arms, and twitch eerily similar to REM sleep in humans when dreams occur.
The implications are huge. According to Nature, if octopuses really do dream, it suggests complex sleep patterns evolved independently in a creature with a totally different brain structure from ours.
Octopuses have already been hailed as intelligent problem solvers, and this new research just adds to their mystique. They’re not just smart they might be haunted by their memories, too.
So, next time you see an octopus resting, remember: it might be battling sea monsters in its dreams.
