AUTONOMOUS LEARNING IN MAZE SOLUTION BY OCTOPUS

We tested seven octopuses, Octopus vulgaris, in maze-learning experime nts. They tried to reach the goal, so as to get a reward, by using var ious locomotory actions in the path, and sometimes encountered obstacl es. They came to select efficient swimming actions in the path; afterw ards less efficient tactile actions (crawling, staying put, and so on: these reduce the speed of movement) gradually increased, while time t o detour around the obstacle was reduced. To investigate whether octop uses reduce time spent detouring around obstacles by estimating their actions in the path, we devised a trade-off situation in which octopus es were obliged to use tactile actions wen though the set-up also enco uraged them to use swimming actions. As a result, we could observe tha t they reduced the detouring time. In that way, we experimentally cons tituted a perspective as if octopuses looked around the whole maze and estimated their actions. Such a perspective appeared to be autonomous learning.