Cephalopods, of the phylum Mollusca, are known for their intelligence and unique body plan. The common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) is a valuable model species for studying intelligence in invertebrates. The octopus’ nervous system, with half a billion neurons, is structurally diverse and capable of complex information processing. Its highly developed cordal nervous system, with a high degree of centralization, forms complex lobes. We characterised the neuromodulatory molecular fingerprint in the Optic lobe and the peduncle lobe in the brain of O. vulgaris. Through in-situ hybridization chain reaction (HCR) experiments the expression of specific neuromodulator receptors and/or transporters was mapped. This will help advance our understanding of Octopus brains and study individual variability for the first time. Integrating gene expression profiles with functional morphology will help with the knowledge gaps in cephalopod neurobiology and further help in understanding the origin of their convergence.
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