Mutated neuroreceptor lets octopuses taste with their arms

Octopuses hunt for prey in cracks and crevices along the seabed using ‘taste-by-touch‘ - the ability to detect chemical signals simply by touching them. Now researchers have identified the molecular makeup of a chemo-tactile receptor that makes this possible. In this film we explore the surprising origins of this receptor, and ask whether molecular evolution can explain octopuses’ unique behaviours.

Read the papers:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s4158...
https://www.nature.com/articles/s4158...

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