Posted on 12/09/2004 5:39:39 AM PST by bedolido
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- It was a May-December romance that really had legs: Young Aurora, a female giant octopus and her aging cephalopod suitor J-1 were thrown together for a blind date seven months ago by aquarists who hoped the two would mate.
By all appearances, their fling was a success, and Aurora began dribbling long strings of eggs down the sides of her tank the following month. Though her sweetheart died of old age in September, the pitter-patter of tiny tentacles seemed close at hand.
But those tens of thousands of eggs remained pearly white with no signs of developing, and aquarists at the Alaska Sealife Center concluding that the eggs were likely sterile began draining Aurora's 3,600-gallon (13,630-liter) tank so she could be removed from display.
Then, last week, a sharp-eyed intern at the center in Seward noticed something peculiar in each of the eggs: two red dots.
"I asked if that was normal," said 24-year-old Meghan Kokal.
It was, for baby octopus eyes.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
What a great story. I loved the photo of Aurora, especially her eye, and hope her little octopuses make it.
Guess I'll skip breakfast.
Great - all we need is another photo of Helen Thomas.
I have The Beatles' "Octopus Garden" playing in my head . . .
Oh, that's not right!
"Great - all we need is another photo of Helen Thomas."
You owe me one keyboard.
Someone want to post a pic of Helen Thomas, so we can do a comparison?
Thanks for the ping!
Arrgh! Beat me to it......
Dang. Closer than I thought...
She does look like a happy mama :)
What do Octopi know what Liberals don't.
(The value of offspring)
I have found that many animals are great examples of good parenting.
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