Effective methods of anesthesia for octopuses are important for physiological studies as well as for their welfare in scientific research. Neurophysiological studies of octopus usually use global anesthesia for invasive procedures like electrode implantation. However, commonly used forms of global anesthesia using ethanol, magnesium chloride, and similar agents raise certain concerns for levels of stress, recovery, and tissue viability in octopuses much as in humans. We explore an old, rarely used method of octopus "hypnosis", in which a still reaction is induced so that communication between central and peripheral nervous systems is seemingly decreased. We modify the procedure for better handling, continuous respiration, and isolation of peripheral nervous system of the arm cords from the central nervous system (CNS), providing alternative to global anesthesia for studies of arm-sucker coordination and electrode placements. The modified procedure limits negative side-effects, markedly reduces animals' stress levels, and offers new avenues for octopus neurobehavioral research.

Octopus Hypnosis: An Alternative to Global Anesthesia