Buzz
Octopuses are generally known for their solitary nature, despite their high intelligence. They often exhibit cannibalistic tendencies, preying on one another when opportunities arise. Additionally, their elusive behavior, involving hiding and masterful camouflage, helps them evade predators and ambush prey, making them challenging subjects for research.
However, recent findings from a study of octopuses in captivity reveal a surprising social side. These creatures have been observed cohabiting in dens and displaying behaviors that defy typical octopus norms, as detailed in PLOS ONE. Over two years, researchers from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, the California Academy of Sciences, and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute studied 24 adult larger Pacific striped octopuses.
In a rare occurrence, some octopuses mated without the usual aggression, where females often kill and consume their partners. Four pairs were placed in shared tanks, where they exhibited unique mating behaviors, such as beak-to-beak mating instead of the typical distant approach. These pairs also spent extended time together, sometimes sharing dens. The females showed exceptional dedication to their offspring, laying eggs for up to six months and incubating them for eight months, even continuing to reproduce after the first batch of eggs hatched.
This research validates earlier anecdotal reports of comparable behaviors documented in scientific literature during the 1970s, when the species was initially identified. It highlights the possibility that our understanding of octopuses may be incomplete. However, since these observations were made in captivity with a limited number of octopuses, it is still uncertain whether such behaviors occur in their natural habitat.
