The most accurate eye. Scientists captured footage of a "sniper" with tentacles shooting stones at fish (video).

The ocean covers a vast majority of the Earth's surface and is home to an incredible number of species on the planet. However, it is also regarded as one of the least explored places on Earth, harboring numerous mysteries. Fortunately for us, advancements in technology allow scientists to dive deeper into the water and learn more about what is happening beneath the surface, as reported by Live Science.

In a new video filmed for the Netflix series "Our Oceans," researchers captured footage of a coconut octopus (Amphioctopus marginatus) shooting stones from its siphon, using it like a sniper from inside a mollusk shell. The researchers also noted that this is the first of its kind video showing how this cephalopod launches projectiles at predatory fish.

The coconut octopus, also known as the veined octopus, was filmed at a depth of about 9 meters below the surface in Southeast Asia. The footage shows the octopus shooting stones from its siphon—a tubular structure the octopus uses for swimming and maneuvering.

According to the assistant producer and field director of the series, Katie Murhe, she and her colleagues were quite surprised to see the octopus shooting stones at fish through its siphon. She also mentioned that no one had previously captured how veined octopuses use their siphons as weapons.

It is known that the team filmed the clip at a depth of around 9 meters beneath the ocean's surface. Initially, the filmmakers were studying the impact of plastic pollution on the ocean, filming a solitary octopus living on a trash-strewn seabed. However, upon reviewing the footage, they realized they had documented a completely new behavior.

Later, the researchers returned to the octopus to determine whether this was a one-time event or if the octopus had learned to use its siphon as a pea shooter to deter predators. In total, about 110 hours of video were recorded over three weeks: the footage indicates that the octopus's behavior was not random—it was collecting stones and debris, then launching projectiles.

Researchers note that the stones flew extremely fast, making them visible only in slow motion. Moreover, scientists observed the cephalopod throwing stones from its respiratory siphon with incredible speed and accuracy—the projectiles hit their targets precisely.

Coconut octopuses typically inhabit sandy or muddy environments in shallow waters. They can be found throughout the Indian Ocean and emerge from their shelters at dawn and dusk to forage for food. This species is known for building armor out of mollusk shells and coconuts, pulling the halves together to create shields.

When cephalopods are not using their shields, they carry the shells with them—curling up inside the shells and then extending their tentacles to move along the seafloor. The study's authors also mentioned that they still have much to analyze regarding the behavior of these cephalopods.

Observations show that the fish which the octopuses threw stones at were frightened and retreated—scientists believe that throwing stones may actually be an effective defense strategy for cephalopods.