Rescued from Becoming Food, the Octopus Is Trained to Play Piano
Food Rewards for Pressing the Keys
Performed Together with Its Owner after Six Months of Training
A Swedish YouTuber has drawn attention for rescuing an octopus that was about to be used as food and training it to play the piano.
On December 9 (local time), The Washington Post reported, "A video by Swedish YouTuber Mathias Krantz, famous for his instrument modification content, documenting the process of teaching an octopus to play the piano, has surpassed 6 million views and is attracting significant attention online."
In March, Krantz purchased an octopus from a fishery in Portugal. He named the octopus "Takoyaki" and set a goal to have it play songs such as "Under the Sea," the theme from the animation "The Little Mermaid," and the theme from the movie "Jaws" within about six months. Krantz, who primarily creates videos about making and modifying instruments, revealed that he had long dreamed of experimenting with teaching animals to play the piano.
He believed that, since an octopus's nerves are distributed throughout its arms, allowing them to move independently, there was a high possibility it could play. However, the actual training turned out to be much more challenging than expected. Krantz said it required hundreds of hours of patience, recalling, "It was the hardest yet the most amazing challenge."
Bonding with the Octopus Before Training...Inducing Responses with Food Rewards
Krantz prepared a 380-liter tank, adding rocks, sand, toys, and a filtration system to create a suitable environment for the octopus. Before beginning the piano training, he focused on building a bond. On the first day, the octopus refused to eat, but from the second day, it began to eat little by little. Three days later, it successfully completed a task of opening a bottle cap containing crabs and shrimp, signaling that training was possible.
He then designed piano keys using a 3D printer and placed them in the tank. Whenever the octopus touched a key, it received a reward, and Krantz added a lever to produce sound. The octopus sometimes pulled the lever, but also repeatedly engaged in unexpected behaviors, such as breaking and hiding the keys.
After the first success, Krantz built a dedicated piano with 15 keys, but the octopus only sat on top of the keys. He tried various motivational methods, such as using symbols, pictures of crabs, and underwater speakers, but the responses remained limited.
Eventually, Krantz discovered that the octopus responded to "movement." He shook specific keys with a fishing line, and within a week, the octopus began pressing two notes in succession. Two weeks later, it reached the stage of playing two notes simultaneously. However, after a few months, the training stopped progressing. The octopus began sticking to the camera, squirting water, and even escaping the tank to hide in a cupboard.
The Octopus Learned 'Press a Key, Get Food'...Even Performed with Its Owner
To break through the plateau, Krantz created a "food elevator." Each time the octopus pressed a key, a crab inside an acrylic tube would descend a little. At first, the octopus tried to go directly into the tube to pull the crab out, but once it understood that pressing a key would bring the food down, it began to focus. In the following weeks, Krantz increased the difficulty so the octopus had to press seven to eight keys to receive a reward.
In August, the octopus even performed together with Krantz. While Krantz played the guitar, the octopus shook the keys simultaneously to create harmonies. However, the octopus was unable to consistently match the correct notes or rhythm. Krantz explained that although the octopus played the melody of "Baby Shark," the rhythm was often off.
Marine Biologist: "Octopuses Have Little Ability to Perceive Rhythm or Tempo"
However, experts explained that the octopus was not actually recognizing the keys and playing music, but was acting in pursuit of food. Marine biologist Jenny Hofmeister stated that while octopuses display unique intelligence-such as changing color depending on their surroundings, building homes with rocks, throwing objects, and spraying ink when threatened-they have almost no ability to perceive rhythm or tempo. She assessed, "It is virtually impossible to teach an octopus to play the piano perfectly."
Typically, octopuses live for one to two years. Krantz's octopus, estimated to be about 14 months old, spends most of its time sleeping, but reportedly still taps the piano keys every other day. Krantz said that the training process itself was a special experience, adding, "Every time I see the octopus pressing the keys, it is so astonishing that it feels unreal."
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