The Novel Object Recognition task (NOR) is widely used for the study of memory in vertebrates and has been proposed as a solid candidate for evaluating memory in different taxonomic groups, allowing similar and comparable evaluations between them. Although, in cephalopods, several research reports could indicate that they recognize objects in their environment, so far, it has not been evaluated as an experimental paradigm, which allows evaluating different phases of memory. In this study, we show that Octopus maya can differentiate between a new object and a known one, with high accuracy. We observed that to achieve object recognition, octopuses use vision and touch exploration in new objects, while familiar objects only need to be explored in a tactile way. To our knowledge, this is the first time showing an invertebrate performing the NOR task, in a similar way to how it is performed in vertebrates. These results raise the opportunity to use a simple, fast and widely used task in other taxonomic groups, to assess memory in octopuses.
Octopuses show a wide behavioral range that allows them great adaptability to their environment this has permitted them to be the target of great interest for biophysics, cytology, and neurobiology studies. To adequately execute these investigations, it is essential to have a thorough understanding of the neuroanatomy of species that function as good laboratory models, for example, O. Maya. In this work, we undertake the task of extracting and characterizing the various structures of the nervous system of O. Maya at the level of lobes and connectivity between them. Serial sections at 70–80µm for sagittal and coronal plains from the brains of adult and young individuals were stained using Nissl, Hematoxylin, and Eosin (H&E) to visualize the perikarya. We determined the morphology of 30 lobes in the brain of O. Maya from young and adult specimens and the cells that constitute the connectivity pathways between these regions. We also observed that the brains of O. Maya at four weeks after hatching do not show a fully mature brain, but rather that some lobes related to somatosensory memory have low cell density and a simple morphology than that of adult specimens. It is indicative of a maturation process that should be considered for future experimental designs. We hope that this nervous system mapping will increase the basis for more detailed investigations into the neurophysiology of O. Maya and other octopuses.
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