Occasionally an octopus takes a dislike to someone. One of Athena’s predecessors at the aquarium, Truman, felt this way about a female volunteer. Using his funnel, the siphon near the side of the head used to jet through the sea, Truman would shoot a soaking stream of salt water at this young woman whenever he got a chance. Later, she quit her volunteer position for college. But when she returned to visit several months later, Truman, who hadn’t squirted anyone in the meanwhile, took one look at her and instantly soaked her again.
This is from a really excellent article about octopuses (yes, that’s the proper plural of octopus). For being an invertebrate and having such a tiny brain, it’s amazing how smart they are and how much of a personality they can develop. In fact, I think most probably have a more interesting personality than the majority of people I meet in murray hill. You should definitely check it out.
http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/6474
