Cannibal octopus caught in the act

For the first time a cannibal octopus has been recorded on camera dining on one of its relatives.

Recently released video of the underwater feast is thought to be the first case of octopus cannibalism captured on camera, Live Science reports.

Filmed by scuba divers in Ría de Vigo, Spain in 2002 the event has only just come to media attention after its release as part of a study earlier this month.

Ocean scientists have long been aware that octopuses eat their own kind, but the knowledge was only gained through analysing stomach contents and laboratory observations.

According to researchers, who published the study in the Journal of Comparative Psychology, the 2.2kg male octopus had a taste for its smaller counterpart’s arms.

"The animal was dead, showing a pale white color and the tips of its arms had been eaten," the researchers wrote.

This is the second case of animal cannibalism to make news this week after pictures of starving horses in the NSW snowy mountains eating their dead companions gained international attention.

Source: Livescience