Abstract
FOOD, such as a piece of fish, placed against the suckers of an octopus arm is usually transported to the mouth by a combination of arm and sucker movements, here termed the accept reflex. The opposite reflex, reject, involves passing food distally along the suckers to the arm tip and pushing it away1. Rejection is less frequent in normal octopuses but can be enhanced by punishment for accepting objects placed against the suckers. This is the basis of tactile training experiments2.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Wells, M. J., J. Exp. Biol., 36, 590 (1959).
Wells, M. J., and Wells, J., Pubbl. Staz. Zool. Napoli, 28, 94 (1956).
ten Cate, J., Archs. Néerl. Physiol., 13, 407 (1928).
Rowell, C. H. F., J. Exp. Biol., 40, 257 (1963).
Graziadei, P., Proc. Roy. Soc., B, 161, 392 (1965).
Wells, M. J., Ergebn. Biol., 26, 40 (1963).
von Uexküll, J., Z. Biol., 31, 584 (1895).
Wells, M. J., J. Exp. Biol., 38, 811 (1961).
Wells, M. J., and Young, J. Z., J. Exp. Biol., 49, 401 (1968).
Altman, J. S., thesis, Univ. London (1968).
Young, J. Z., Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. Ser., B., 249, 45 (1965).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
ALTMAN, J. Control of Accept and Reject Reflexes in the Octopus. Nature 229, 204–206 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1038/229204a0
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/229204a0
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
