Intelligence is no match for a coordinated swarm in this wild footage showing how a school of fish attacked and devoured an octopus alive.
The intense deep sea encounter was originally filmed several years ago during a dive off the rugged southern coast of Australia, but the footage is only just now getting the viral attention it deserves.
As the epic battle rages on, we see how the octopus uses its tentacles like a boxer, swiping out in a vain attempt to ward off its attackers, in a fascinating but tragic display of tactical intelligence pitted against the raw, mechanical hunger of a relentless mob.
These fish, known as leatherjackets, are notoriously persistent. Armed with specialized teeth, they regroup after every swipe and continue to attack, undeterred by the octopus’s desperate attempts at evasion and defense.
This results in a brutal war of attrition and a “death by a thousand cuts” where the octopus’s superior defenses are eventually humbled by the sheer weight of numbers.
Watch the full video below:
The photographer that filmed this has some more intriguing octopus footage hosted on his Flickr account. Check out some of his videos below:
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