Octopus arms, as well as other muscular hydrostats, are characterized by a very large number of degrees of freedom and a rich motion repertoire. Over the years, several attempts have been made to elucidate the interplay between the biomechanics of these organs and their control systems. Recent developments in electrophysiological recordings from both the arms and brains of behaving octopuses ma...

Arm swimming in the octopus is a mode of locomotion that is used by the animal primarily for hunting, defence, or escape. The motion, in general, is characterized by a fast closing of the arms and a slow opening of the arms, resulting in a considerable propulsive power. The movement has previously been discussed, however the detailed kinematics is still unknown. For that, we investigated in det...

Aim. To compare semikinetic perimetry (SKP) on Octopus 900 perimetry to a peripheral static programme with Humphrey automated perimetry. Methods. Prospective cross-section study comparing Humphrey full field (FF) 120 two zone programme to a screening protocol for SKP on Octopus perimetry. Results were independently graded for presence/absence of field defect plus type and location of defect. Re...

Octopus cells, located in the mammalian auditory brainstem, receive their excitatory synaptic input exclusively from auditory nerve fibers (ANFs). They respond with accurately timed spikes but are broadly tuned for sound frequency. Since the representation of information in the auditory nerve is well understood, it is possible to pose a number of questions about the relationship between the int...

The octopus sucker represents a fascinating natural system performing adhesion on different terrains and substrates. Octopuses use suckers to anchor the body to the substrate or to grasp, investigate and manipulate objects, just to mention a few of their functions. Our study focuses on the morphology and adhesion mechanism of suckers in Octopus vulgaris. We use three different techniques (MRI, ...

References [1] D. Trivedi, C. D. Rahn, W. M. Kier and I. D. Walker, “Soft robotics: Biological inspiration, state of the art, and future research,” Applied Bionics and Biomechanics, vol. 5 (3), 2008, pp 99-117. [2] G. Sumbre, Y. Gutfreund, G. Fiorito, T. Flash and B. Hochner, “Control of Octopus Arm Extension by a Peripheral Motor Program,” Science, vol. 293, 2001, pp 1845–1848. [3] Y. Yekutiel...

Acoustic information in auditory nerve discharges is integrated in the cochlear nuclei, and ascends through several parallel pathways to higher centers. Octopus cells of the posteroventral cochlear nucleus form a pathway known to carry information in the timing of action potentials. Octopus cells have dendrites oriented to receive converging input from many auditory nerve fibers. In all 34 intr...