Scientists discover Octlantis - an underwater city built by octopuses in Australia

Octlantis is the name of the underwater site built by octopuses where they communicate with each other by posturing, chasing or colour changes.

New Delhi: Scientists from the University of Illinois in the US have discovered an underwater city off the east coast of Australia which belongs to octopuses.

Yes, you have heard it right.

Octlantis is the name of the underwater site built by octopuses, a home of upto 15 gloomy ones, where they communicate with each other by posturing, chasing or colour changes.

It is the second gloomy octopus settlement found in the area, and the discovery sheds light on the theory that octopuses are not necessarily loners.

The first gloomy octopus site was found in Jervis Bay off the east coast of Australia in 2009.

The new site is located just a few hundred meters away from the first site, and has been dubbed Octlantis.

The site is about 10 to 15 metres under the water's surface and is about 18 metres in length and four metres wide, researchers said.

It is composed of a few patches of exposed rock and beds of discarded shells from prey animals. A total of 13 occupied and 10 unoccupied octopus dens - holes excavated into sand or shell piles - were found at the site, they said.

Researchers placed four cameras at the new site to film for a day, recording 10 hours of footage that showed numerous social interactions among the inhabitants.

The number of octopuses observed at the site ranged from 10 to a high of 15.