One of the hardest things about working with octopuses is their mood swings, says Dr Alex Schnell. They can be bold and gregarious one day, “and then the next day they refuse to come out of their den”, says the behavioural ecologist, who studies cephalopods.
Octopuses are complex, intelligent creatures: they can change the colour and texture of their skin, disguise themselves, use tools and squeeze into tiny spaces. Their intricate lives burst into the public consciousness in 2020 with the Oscar-winning documentary My Octopus Teacher, about the relationship between a film-maker and an octopus.
