Deception, misleading advertising, rumors, and disinformation are part of our daily lives. Humans are capable of deception due to our significantly higher cognitive abilities. Nature also provides numerous examples of false information, such as the cuckoo's strategy or Batesian mimicry. Drongo birds, for instance, imitate the alarm calls of other species to secure their food.
While these are fixed strategies, there is a more “human-like” deception, more flexible and adaptable to circumstances: tactical deception. This involves using seemingly "honest" behavior in a different context to avoid other individuals. Tactical deception requires evaluating one's own perspective and that of the observer, as well as utilizing short- and long-term memory, learning, and context evaluation—all demanding high-level cognitive skills.
Tactical deception has been observed in our closest relatives, primates, and in corvids. Gelada monkeys do not make their usual alarm calls to avoid being heard by the dominant male, and crows often hide their food if other crows are watching, but only if they have been previously robbed, indicating the ability to adopt another's perspective and good learning capacity.
Researchers from the University of Cambridge have recently published a review on tactical deception in cephalopods. These animals' cognitive abilities are comparable to those of vertebrates, and some hypotheses suggest these capabilities developed as the mollusks' typical shell reduced.
The study describes several examples. Male octopuses can display two different color patterns on their bodies: one side facing the female shows the usual courtship pattern, while the other side, if another male is present, displays a female-like pattern to deter the rival male. Younger males sometimes adopt female color patterns to approach females protected by larger males, occasionally achieving mating.
Furthermore, cuttlefish can create patterns that appear to have two eyes on the back of their bodies to deceive a predator, especially when the predator uses vision to detect prey. This strategy is context-dependent and relies on threat recognition.
The pygmy squid (Idiosepius paradoxus) uses ink to confuse or distract its prey during an attack, allowing it to strike from another angle. Other squids also use ink to escape threats.
The Cambridge team's analysis raises interesting questions: Are cephalopods truly practicing genuine tactical deception? And to what extent can the concept of "theory of mind" be applied to these animals?
