Octopuses May Bite Their Own Arms

Self-injury has been reported in octopuses: some animals in captivity have bitten their own arms and even removed portions of them. This behavior is described as autophagy or automutilation. Researchers have proposed several possible causes, from abnormal nerve sensations to illness or captive conditions, but “hunger and stress” is not established as a universal explanation. In the wild, arm loss can have other causes, including injury or attacks. The illustration is AI-generated and is not documentary evidence of this behavior.