A Crazy Little Thing Called Love

It's April Fools' Day, but this is no joke.

A UC Berkeley research team has found that at least one species of octopus is quite "romantic" in its approach to reproduction, engaging in rather sophisticated lovemaking tactics such as flirting, passionate handholding and keeping rivals at arms' length.

That's the conclusion from observations in Indonesia of the striped octopus (Octopus Abdopus aculeatus) just described in an article published in the journal Marine Biology.

"This is not a unique species of octopus, which suggests others behave this way," Dr. Roy Caldwell, a professor of integrative biology at UC Berkeley and co-author of the study, told the UC Berkeley news service.

The researchers spotted octopuses staking out the dens of their preferred female mates, attempting to strangle would-be rivals, and saw other males masquerading as females to get a chance to nab the favorites for themselves.

T hey also described the challenges of studying octopuses -- animals both shy and also possessed of keen eyesight.

"They're obsessively secretive, solitary and pretty spooky," Dr. Caldwell said. "If you watch them, they watch you back. It's hard to study them."

There's more to read about their findings, as well as videos (PG rated, at most) and photos.

Enjoy!

Comments

[Ed Reed]

Wonderful articles. I enjoyed reading them . They are insightful and informative. I will return to read more. keep up the good work