Eight

🐙 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙊𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙥𝙪𝙨 "𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘼𝙧𝙢"

(this is a longer read, but who doesn't love reading about one of our favorite PNW residents!).

Have you ever noticed one Giant Pacific Octopus reaching a single arm toward another octopus while keeping the rest of its body at a respectful distance? Guess what? It might be looking for a date 💗

Male Giant Pacific Octopuses have a specialized arm called a hectocotylus (heck-toe-COT-uh-lus). Look for the third arm on the right side; it is used to transfer packets of s***m to the female.

During mating, the male carefully extends this specialized arm into the female's mantle cavity. In some cases, he may keep most of his body tucked safely away while stretching that arm surprisingly far!

Considering that female Giant Pacific Octopuses are often larger and stronger than males (you go girl!), maintaining a little personal space might not be a bad strategy 😂

"𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙧"

This is fascinating stuff! Many males become senescent after mating. Senescence is the final stage of an octopus's life, when their bodies begin to break down naturally.

During senescence you may notice things such as:

lighter or washed-out coloration
cloudy eyes
missing arm tips
scars from a lifetime of encounters
reduced coordination
spending more time exposed and wandering instead of hiding

Some of our Eight divers recently encountered two male GPO's hanging around a den with a third GPO tucked in...they were watching a pretty important moment in the life of a Giant Pacific Octopus.

The male in the photo had already lost two arms, a reminder that life in the ocean isn't always easy. Giant Pacific Octopuses can regenerate damaged arms, but older senescent animals often don't fully recover before the end of their life cycle 🥹

This is one reason we sometimes encounter males wandering out in the open during mating season. Their focus shifts from feeding and avoiding predators to finding ONE last opportunity to reproduce.

Did you know? The word hectocotylus comes from Greek roots meaning "hundred-cupped," referring to the arm's modified structure.

Nature is amazing! A little strange, and sometimes a little bittersweet.