'I taught an octopus piano' - the video the internet can't get enough of!

The star student is a bright, curious cephalopod named Takoyaki, whom Krantz rescued from a live fish market. What began as a wild idea quickly became an internet sensation, capturing millions of views across social media - including 22.7 million views on Instagram alone.

“I’ve always wanted to teach an animal piano,” Krantz explains in the video. “Octopuses are incredibly smart - as intelligent as a three-year-old. Amazing problem solvers. And each of their eight arms has its own little brain… it’s like eight pianists in one body.”

Krantz attempted several teaching methods, ranging from light-up keys to fake crabs hidden inside a piano. Nothing stuck - until he built a fully custom “octopus piano,” designed so that every successful key press rewarded Takoyaki with a tasty treat.

The breakthrough worked. Takoyaki began to associate pulling a piano lever with food, and soon enough he was hitting notes, learning simple sequences, and even - at one point - accidentally producing a chord.

Fans watching the journey unfold online were hooked, leaving thousands of comments marvelling at the dedication and the delightful absurdity of the project.

The full 14-minute video documents the entire process - from trust-building, to tank escapes, to the infamous “light-up keyboard that Takoyaki absolutely hated.” At one point, Krantz even resorts to building a crab elevator - a contraption that lowers a treat a little closer each time the octopus correctly plays a note in sequence.

It’s equal parts scientific experiment, musical exploration, and chaotic comedy.

Despite setbacks (including moments where Takoyaki simply sat on the keys, tried to eat the equipment, or stared into the void), the octopus learned how to:

“I don't think an octopus can play piano,” Krantz admits at one low point - only for Takoyaki to prove him wrong shortly after.