Overview

• Researchers report front arms were used more for exploration and rear arms for locomotion, with a 64% to 36% split across observed instances.
• Two locomotion patterns—rolling and stilting—were performed especially with rear arms, highlighting distinct movement roles.
• The peer-reviewed study in Scientific Reports examined wild Octopus vulgaris and closely related species to capture natural behaviors outside aquariums.
• The team catalogued 15 behaviors, 12 arm movements, and four recurring patterns from the footage, finding no evidence of left–right handedness.
• Biologists and engineers say the findings can inform flexible robotic arms and soft endoscopes, though applications remain early-stage and largely experimental.