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There have been experiments that remove the gland that produces the hormone that kills off octopuses after copulation and birth. The octopuses seemed to live on
by bmitc 4y ago
There have been experiments that remove the gland that produces the hormone that kills off octopuses after copulation and birth. The octopuses seemed to live on with no problem, seemingly implying that the early death was indeed an adaptation to make room for the newly born.
- neodypsis 4y agoHow much longer could they live?
- ioblomov 4y ago4-6 months (nearly 50%) longer. Elaborating on an earlier point, making room for the newborn after reproduction (via premature death) is evolutionarily advantageous because octopuses are cannibals… https://www.livescience.com/why-octopus-moms-self-destruct https://www.livescience.com/why-octopus-moms-self-destruct
- bmitc 4y agoI don't recall or know how much longer. Upon searching for it now, I couldn't find any information. There were vague allusions to months longer or doubling the lifespan, but those didn't cite anything. I'm not sure of the normal lifespan across the different octopus species, but I seem to recall it's generally around just a couple years. Apparently, removing the optic gland was done all the way back in 1977 by Jerome Wodinsky. I thought it was much more recent than that. Edit: This video has always stuck with me. A single octopus female was observed guarding her eggs for over four years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFCQltYMLQk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFCQltYMLQk They are such deeply interesting creatures.