Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Back again, and I want to talk octopi



I was at the Seattle Aquarium at a hosted event of the NW Science Writers Association, and since I didn't see alot of people there I knew- first group event I'd attended - I decided to talk beaches and critters with the volunteers. Since I am a beach naturalist, I can talk their language about starfish, craps, groupers and the like.

But the most fascinating creature of the night, that night, and any other for me was the octopi in an dual tank. The male was white and sleeping in his, while the female, a pretty color of coral, then white, then pink and back to deep red, was having a great time checking out her tank and slipping her tentacles through the holes where the male's side began and her's ended.

The volunteer said that come valentine's day, they'll let the two check each other out, to see if romance blooms. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. If I was an octopus, I'm not sure I'd be so eager to find my forever love, since that's sort of what it is.

They are terminal breeders, so once they mate, the male, apparently dies quickly and then the female hangs around for a few weeks, and then dies as well (or is it months?).

I did learn that they smell with their suckers (didn't know that), and could operate all their arms independently (their intelligence made me swear off calamari).