EXAMINATION OF NATURAL AND CAPTIVE BEHAVIORS AND THEIRIMPLICATIONS ON MENTAL HEALTH IN OCTOPUS VULGARIS

In an attempt to better understand the effects of environmental enrichments on captive
octopods, specifically Octopus vulgaris, as conducted by aquariums, attempts have been made to
collect wild octopus from various sites in the Indian River Lagoon. Collected specimen would
have been observed in captivity in order to compare their behavior with that of their wild
counterparts based on the data collected by Kayes in 1973. The research conducted would serve
to investigate if the environmental enrichments, institutionalized by aquariums, encourage
octopods to behave more closely to the natural or wild type behaviors or if the enrichments
encourage less natural behavior. Due to complications in the collection process, the nature of
research conducted was changed to look at behavior of 0. vulgaris in the wild at Blue Heron
Bridge, while examining literature on implications of octopi behavior in captivity. Enrichment is
used to guarantee the mental wellbeing and health of animals in captivity in the interests of
maintaining a good quality of living. This thesis looks at whether the quality for life achieved by
enrichment impacts behavior by either encouraging natural or unnatural behavior in octopi.