3 ms·
Same. But even more curious is that it's not as if they die of old age or anything typically...the parents both seem to commit suicide of sorts after having of
by axaxs 6y ago
Same. But even more curious is that it's not as if they die of old age or anything typically...the parents both seem to commit suicide of sorts after having offspring. So that leaves the bigger question of why? Does reproduction doom them for death internally? Population control mechanism? Really interesting.
- mentalpiracy 6y agoIn some species at least, it’s not really suicide, more of an all-in reproductive strategy. In these species, a female will stop eating so that she can spend 100% of her life tending to the egg mass, protecting it from predators as well as using her arms to circulate water around the eggs for proper oxygenation (the mass is stationary, usually adhered to rock or an otherwise sheltered crevice). Unlike fish eggs, octopus eggs generally take several weeks to hatch once fertilized. Going this long without food basically starves the brood mother to death (or makes it exceedingly unlikely that she will be able to recuperate on her own). I realize you still could describe this as suicide with extra steps, per your comment.
- thaumasiotes 6y ago> octopus eggs generally take several weeks to hatch once fertilized. Going this long without food basically starves the brood mother to death Birds solve this problem by having the male bring food to the female.
- noisy_boy 6y agoOnly if they would stop eating the males; males sharing more caring attributes could have produced more offspring and furthered the trait
- elsonrodriguez 6y agoThere is a gland behind their eyes that helps kick off senescence as well. I vaguely remember that removing this gland increases life span.
- thaumasiotes 6y agoIt also prevents them from caring for their eggs.