In this talk, it is argued that the received view that self-recognition is a sophisticated cognitive capacity may not always be the case. While it is not denied that self-recognition presupposes a certain level of cognitive complexity, it is pointed out out that this notion reflects a strong vertebrate bias. The talk presents the octopus—a highly intelligent invertebrate with the demonstrated capacity to recognize itself—as a challenger to the claim that self-recognition is subserved by high-level cognitive routines. The octopus is particularly significant, as its capacity for self-recognition is in large part realized by low-level, stimulus-dependent chemical responses that are often denied cognitive status.