An octopus rescued from a market has stunned the world by learning to perform a blues tune on a specially designed piano. Swedish musician and engineer Mattias Krantz saved the young creature, named Tako, from a South Korean fish market in mid-2025. He then spent six months building and refining a miniature underwater instrument tailored to the octopus’s tentacles. This experiment highlights the unexpected musical talents of marine life and raises questions about animal intelligence.
Krantz crafted the piano with eight large, color-coded keys that produce clear notes through an underwater speaker when pressed firmly. He used small pieces of crab as rewards to encourage Tako to hit the correct sequence of notes, starting with random touches and progressing to a deliberate six-note blues lick in C major. The training process involved daily sessions where Tako gradually coordinated its arms to press keys in order, showing remarkable focus and adaptation over time. Such patience in the experiment underscores the dedication needed to bridge human creativity with animal behavior.
In the Viral video, Tako performs alongside Krantz, who strums an electric guitar in a slow 12-bar blues rhythm. The octopus methodically taps the keys with two or three arms, timing its notes closely to the guitar chords while grabbing rewards with another limb. This live “concert” setup reveals Tako’s precise movements and ability to follow cues, turning a home aquarium into an unlikely stage. Viewers have shared the clip widely, praising its wholesome blend of music and marine wonder.
Octopuses possess complex brains with about 500 million neurons, many distributed in their arms for independent actions like tasting or problem-solving. Research shows they excel in associative learning, where they link actions to rewards, much like Tako’s response to crab incentives during piano practice. This capability aligns with studies on cephalopod cognition, demonstrating how octopuses can master sequential tasks that demand memory and planning. As a journalist covering innovative intersections of science and art, I see this as evidence that invertebrates can exhibit skills once thought exclusive to higher vertebrates, prompting broader discussions on animal training ethics.
The experiment also ties into broader findings on octopus tool use, such as carrying coconut shells for shelter in the wild, which illustrates their ingenuity. Ethical considerations come into play here, given reports affirming sentience in cephalopods and leading to welfare protections in several countries. Krantz’s project, viewable on his YouTube channel, adds a creative layer to these scientific insights by blending engineering with biology. Ultimately, Tako’s performance invites us to rethink the boundaries of intelligence across species, encouraging more humane approaches to animal interactions.
