A bottlenose dolphin has been filmed violently shaking and tossing the body of a deadly octopus across the waters of Western Australia in a rare sight as it prepares for a meal.

Researchers from Murdoch University's cetacean research unit released the vision after uncovering the mammal's unique method of catching, killing and eating their prey, The Conversation reports.

"A large octopus can be risky prey for predators to tackle. This is especially so for marine mammals, such as dolphins, which don't have hands to help them keep control of this clingy, eight-armed prey," Murdoch university research associates Kate Sprogis and David Hocking wrote.

In the footage, the dolphin shakes then tosses the octopus around on the surface of the water in a bid, the researchers say, to kill and then tear the sea creature into more palatable pieces.

"By tossing the octopus across the water, dolphins avoid letting the octopus latch onto their bodies," the researchers said.

"It's quite a process the dolphins have developed to deal with the octopus. They have a short, fused neck which means they have to arch their whole body to toss their prey out of the water."

Bottlenose dolphin with an octopus wrapped around its head. (MUCRU/Megan Franklin)