Some members of an octopus species hunt cooperatively in groups with fish, a new study found — an indication that some octopuses have richer social lives than scientists understood.

Despite generally being solitary animals, they can work with fish to find prey and recognise which team members aren't helping.That is the conclusion of a study of "hunting packs" that consist of a single octopus and several kinds of fish.

Some of these species are separated by over 550 million years of evolution, yet they can still organize and cooperate towards a mutual benefit. Both octopuses and fish increase their catch rates of crustaceans, fish, and molluscs as a result, the researchers determined using field experiments.