There is now a considerable literature on the brain and behaviour of Octopus (for reviews see Wells, 1966; Young, 1964). Most of the accounts relate to the mediterranean Octopus vulgaris and most are concerned with this animal’s behaviour in training experiments and with the effect of brain lesions on learning. These experiments have been made with octopuses of a variety of sizes, ranging from 500 g. (early experiments by Boycott & Young, 1950−55; see reviews cited above) through a ‘normal’ experimental range of 200−400 g. down to the 15−40 g. animals used in experiments dealing with statocyst removal and recognition of the orientation of objects in the visual field (Rowell & Wells, 1961 ; Wells, 1960).

Copyright © 1969 The Company of Biologists Ltd.
1969
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