Happy New Year!
We had our usual pre Christmas trip to Kapowairua/Spirit's Bay. I saw a total of 6 octopuses in the rock pools which is the most for some time. Most were single sightings and the one I did see three times told me to "go away" so I didn't get any ongoing engagement this time. Then, on the last day, from above I saw an octopus at the bottom of one of the deeper pools, sitting out from the edges which was unusual. I dropped a cracked oyster for it but it didn't move. I put the GoPro in and it didn't move. I wondered if it was dead but its colour looked OK apart from one arm being different. So I wondered if it was injured, thought it best to leave it alone, and went on my way.
But... when I downloaded the GoPro photos this was what I saw. A second octopus that was just out of view from above and they appear to be copulating. Since it's something a bit different I thought others might be interested.
Octopus copulation
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- David Riddell
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Re: Octopus copulation
What an amazing thing to see! Male cephalopods have a modified arm, called a hectocotylus, which they use to pass spermatophores to the females, definitely looks like that's what's going on here.
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Re: Octopus copulation
Thanks. Octopuses are amazing animals and this was certainly an unusual encounter.
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