World's Sexiest Octopus Ostracized By Biologists
Larger Pacific Striped Octopus Roy CaldwellDue to its peculiar lifestyle and mating habits, the larger Pacific striped octopus has been largely ignored by scientists. It doesn't even have a Latin name. In 1991, a biologist named Arcadio Rodaniche published a short abstract describing a new species of octopus he had discovered in Panama. This new octopus, Rodaniche claimed, had a lifestyle quite unlike any other species of its kind: While the mating and breeding habits of most octopuses seem to be structured around the central fact that, given the opportunity, either of the two lovers might try to kill and eat the other, the larger Pacific striped octopus behaves as though no such danger exists: Instead of living alone, they'll often take on a den-mate, and even associate with a wider circle of up to 40 other octopuses. And when it comes time to mate, the two animals do...