How do the Blue-Ringed Octopus reproduce?
The blue-ringed octopus reproduces sexually. Once the adult octopus reaches adulthood, it usually has the urge to mate. This is their main purpose in life, just like many other animals. The male gets attracted to the female by caressing her with the modified arm. The male octopus uses one of his arms and it is modified formating. This is called hectocotylus, which holds raw sperm. This arm is inserted into the oviduct of the female. Then it releases little packets of sperm which slide down into the oviduct. She does not conceive immediately, but the female keeps the sperm until she lays her eggs. After the eggs are laid, the female takes care of them until they hatch.Once they hatch, the mother and father usually die shortly afterwards. The baby octopus grows very rapid and increases its body weight 5% each day. Their lifespan is usually between three to five years.
Click here to watch a video of the octopus mating.
