BBC Radio 4 - Other Minds: The Octopus And The Evolution Of Intelligent Life by Peter Godfrey-Smith - 10 incredible facts about Octopuses

The argonaut octopus gives his arm to inseminate his mate

If you’ve ever asked yourself, "How does an octopus mate?" or "How can you tell a female cephalopod from a male?" then you’ve scrolled upon the right reel! The talented ROV pilots on R/V Falkor (too) captured this spectacular zoom during a recent #ChileMargin24 dive. At around 13 seconds, you can clearly see one of this fellow’s tentacles, and the suckers don’t go all the way to the tip (which is why we’re confident saying he). A female’s suckers extend all the way up all eight arms. Male octopu

Octopus mating is a fascinating process. Octopuses mate through direct copulation. The male octopus inserts his specialized arm, called a hectocotylus, into the female’s mantle cavity. This arm deposits spermatophores (containing the male’s sperm) into the female’s oviduct. Interestingly, both male and female octopuses die soon after mating. The male typically dies a few months afterward, while the female dies shortly after her eggs hatch. 🐙🌊 #octopus #love #underwaterphotography #tentacles #m

How smart is an octopus?