Cephalopod cognition

Abstract

Cephalopods have captivated the minds of scientists for thousands of years, dating back to approximately 330 BC when Aristotle became fascinated by their ability to rapidly change colour. This remarkable ability, however, is not the only aspect of cephalopod behaviour that has garnered attention from the scientific community. The soft-bodied cephalopods (henceforth cephalopods), namely octopus, cuttlefish, and squid, are widely considered to be the most cognitively advanced group of invertebrates. They possess highly developed perceptual, memory, and spatial learning abilities and are also capable of intriguing feats of behaviour that appear to indicate complex cognition.