VIDEO: Octopus seen ‘punching’ fish to corral them while hunting for food

Video from a recent study shows multiple examples of octopuses using their tentacles to punch fish, but it’s not part of a sanctioned aquatic boxing match.Instead, researchers said the animals do this to displace the fish and keep them in line.”Punching involves an explosive motion of one arm directed at a specific hunting partner, which actively displaces it to outer areas of the group temporarily or permanently,” scientists said.Interestingly, the octopuses and the fish they punch are all part of the same hunting party. They rove around the sea floor to catch prey together, with the octopus serving as the dominant center of the group.HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHERThe scientists noted that the fish never act aggressively toward the octopus, leaving it to be the most dominant individual of the group.