Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. It’s hard to identify individual members of another species ...

Octopuses usually keep their sexual partners at arm's length -- literally. The male uses the spoon-like end of his third right arm to insert sperm into the female's reproductive tract, then jets off.

The larger Pacific striped octopus uses unique prankster shoulder-tapping techniques to lure shrimp prey within arms' reach. Photo: Roy Caldwell/UC Berkeley In 1977, scientific divers discovered an ...

When the larger Pacific striped octopus was first observed in the 1970s, its unusual social and mating behavior were so strange that no one would publish it. But researchers have now found it all true ...

The larger Pacific striped octopus hunts shrimp using a strategy worthy of a schoolyard prank. And that’s not the only oddity about the species. It’s only the second octopus known with females that ...

Octopus mating behaviors can be quite deadly. Many species are cannibalistic, making the entire prospect of mating dangerous, and female octopuses often die after laying one clutch of eggs. Their ...

Octopuses and other camouflaging cephalopods may be the literal embodiment of “now you see me, now you don’t.” Using both rapid color and texture changes, octopuses can blend into nearly every ...

Octopus mating behaviors can be quite deadly. Many species are cannibalistic, making the entire prospect of mating dangerous, and female octopuses often die after laying one clutch of eggs. Their ...

It’s no secret that octopuses are some of the smartest creatures in the sea. They’ve been spotted fleeing from aquariums down into drainpipes, transforming themselves in ways no other sea life can, ...

Octopuses are notoriously anti-social—if you put more than one in a tank, they’ll attack each other. And they certainly don’t form family ties—females are prone to eating males after mating, and they ...

A seasonally inspired stream for the curious, but distracted. Let us know what you think. By The New York Times UPDATED September 3, 2015 The larger Pacific striped octopus is, despite its name, no ...