Journal of Experimental Psychology Animal Learning and Cognition· 2026Q2
Mirror, mirror, on the … surface? Mirror-guided learning in octopuses.
- 0citations
- Q2SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Octopuses can learn to use mirror reflections to find hidden rewards, demonstrating mirror-mediated foraging and potential spatial reflection use in invertebrates for the first time.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Octopuses can learn to use mirror reflections to locate out-of-view rewards.
- This is the first demonstration of mirror-mediated foraging in an invertebrate.
- The study suggests potential spatial reflection use in octopuses.
- Reflection use may be ecologically significant for cephalopods.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Kieseler et al. (2026) show that Octopus bimaculoides can learn to use a mirror reflection to navigate to an out-of-view target for a reward, providing the first demonstration of mirror-mediated foraging, and of potential spatial reflection use, in an invertebrate. We situate this within a framework that distinguishes between different types of mirror information processing (including mirror self-recognition), examine statistical and stimulus-related caveats, and argue that reflection use may be more ecologically grounded in cephalopods than an aquatic lifestyle might suggest.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Journal of Experimental Psychology Animal Learning and Cognition, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and SystematicsAgricultural and Biological Sciences