A grey male octopus (R) mates with a female in an undated handout photo.
(Roy L. Caldwell/UC Berkeley/Handout/Reuters)
Posted on 04/01/2008 7:00:44 PM PDT by Pharmboy
A grey male octopus (R) mates with a female in an undated handout photo.
(Roy L. Caldwell/UC Berkeley/Handout/Reuters)
Wild octopuses are far from the shy, unromantic loners their captive brethren appear to be, a new study finds. Marine biologists from the University of California, Berkeley, who journeyed off the coast of Indonesia to study octopus love lives found a kinky and violent society of jealous murders, gender subterfuge and once-in-a-lifetime sex.
The scientists watched the Abdopus aculeatus octopus, which are the size of an orange, for several weeks, in research published recently in the science journal Marine Biology. They witnessed picky, macho males carefully select a mate, then guard their newly domesticated digs so jealously that they would occasionally use their 8-to-10-inch tentacles to strangle to death a romantic rival.
The researchers also observed smaller "sneaker" male octopuses put on feminine airs, such as swimming girlishly near the bottom and keeping their male brown stripes hidden in order to win unsuspecting conquests.
And size does matter — but not how you'd think.
"If you're going to spend time guarding a female, you want to go for the biggest female you can find because she's going to produce more eggs," said UC Berkeley biologist Roy Caldwell, who co-wrote the study. "It's basically an investment strategy."
Shortly after the female gives birth, about a month after conception, both the mother and father die, researchers said.
"It's not the sex that leads to death," said Christine Huffard, the study's lead author. "It's just that octopuses produce offspring once during a very short lifespan of a year."
This is not a high volume ping list
Gives another meaning to Femme Fatal.
Anyone that reads Fark knows that the Japanese have been way ahead of the curve on kinky octopus in their cartoon porn for years.
What about this poor Hexupus? Will he ever get any?
Now THAT’s kinky...
I learn so much stuff on FreeRepublic...
I'm long overdo for a return to Las Culebrinas in Miami for some Pulpo.
Please accept my sincere apology for omitting you from the Kinky Octopus Sex List...
Republican?
I wonder how many taxpayer dollars went to fund this “research”. To me, this seems the epitome of useless moneywasting.
Maybe we can run him instead of McCain...
LOL!
They have a Clinton genome?
Perhaps "That's my little octopussy?"
Marine biologists from the University of California, Berkeley...Two words -- buttless chaps.
You guys did not disappoint...LOL!
squid pro quo for posting and pinging it in the first place. ;’)
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