The giant octopus of the Pacific is the irrational living being more motherly of the planet. An invertebrate that does not look at ways to ensure the survival of their eggs
It is considered the most maternal species of the animal kingdom. It seems surprising given that it is a mollusk, but true. The giant Pacific octopus is named for the size that can reach adulthood, about nine feet long, came to weigh 250 kg. It is a weighing animal no doubt, but with an average of life that covers only two years. They are animals that inhabit the seafloor, have already been sighted about 70 meters deep. The giant octopus are deaf, like all cephalopods, but have a pair of eyes with about 50 000 receptors per square millimeter of light that allow them to see with great clarity even greater obscurity. The tips of the eight tentacles act like noses and as such that they can sense through the water hormonal changes, just imagine small specialized cells in odors, therefore able to detect aggressive behavior and act accordingly. Unlike the legend they do not attack humans, but in case of threat cast a dark and viscous liquid and fleeing at breakneck speed due to their aerodynamic bodies. Its main weapon of defense is a behavior called mimicry, ie, they change color in less than thirty seconds, mingling with their environment. If none of these evasiv moves have na effect, they do not hesitate to attack even when it comes to therms with natural predators such as the shark and they do not mind if in the confrontation lose one or more tentacles, because they eventually grow back. They are intelligent, but not to the point of guessing the outcome of football championships.
Apart from its scale and capabilities with which nature endowed them, which draws the attention of scientists around the world is his fatal denial when it comes to procreation. These invertebrates when they decide to mate, fail to eat literally. It's a very dramatic act of love that results in immediate death of the male after a certain period of time without food. The female is the part that concerns us in this account, she watches the eggs in a cave where they gather covering the entrance with rocks to prevent the entry of potential predators. During the six months that follows the period of incubation, the octopus does not feed, ruthlessly guarding their precious offspring at the same time that oxygenates the eggs to prevent any diseases or other hazards from aggressors seafloor. She watches the little ones until exhaustion, to the point of that her last maternalo gesture, if you can call it that, it blows water to trigger egg hatching. It's her last blow before dying, but at the same time is a breath of life. Greater proof of love that does not exist, the explanation? Scientists are still debating this issue. Makes you think, doesn't?
