#Giant octopus full#

They achieve such speed by funneling water to create mini jet streams. These speeds are usually reserved to escape danger or to close the gap on fleeing prey. This species of octopus is known to reach speeds of 25 MPH when engaged in short swimming sprints through the water.

They are very efficient at converting food energy into body mass. It is as if a death wish takes over after mating on the part of the males.įor the hatchlings that do survive, they grow at a rate of nearly one percent per day. They begin to spend more time in open water exposing themselves to predators. The act of mating changes the behavior of the males. The male Giant Pacific octopus faces a different, although equally as fatal fate after mating. It can be said that she starves herself for the benefit of the next generation of octopuses. Her body begins a process of self-consumption that results in systemic failure of major body systems soon after the eggs hatch. In terms of motherhood, mother octopuses are very devoted.įor the six months that she spends incubating and caring for her eggs, she does not eat. Of course, she will also protect them from predators. She will constantly circulate water around them with her arms to keep them well oxygenated. She will keep them clean removing accumulations of algae. During that time the mother octopus dedicates every moment of the day to their care. The incubation cycle for the Giant Pacific octopus eggs is six months. When they hatch, the hatchlings are no bigger than this. Giant Pacific octopus eggs are very tiny for such a large creature. Most fall prey to other sea creatures while they are still small. Only a small percentage of Giant Pacific Octopus hatchlings make it to adulthood. With such numbers, you’d think that the Pacific Ocean would be choked with Giant Pacific Octopuses. The average number of eggs laid by the Giant Pacific octopus is 200,000. Some females carry around this sperm packet for months inside their head until they are ready to fertilize their eggs.Įach female can produce as many as 400,000 eggs. Yes, it may seem like an odd way to mate but for the Giant Pacific Octopus, it works. The male Giant Pacific octopus takes a sperm packet containing his sperm and using one of his arms inserts it in the mantle of the female’s head. In other words, they do not have the private parts that we mammals have. To be more exact, the act of mating is what ushers in biological changes in both the males and females of the species which culminate in death soon afterward. This takes place toward the end of their natural lifespan.

This means that they only mate once in their lifetime. The average Giant Pacific Octopus measures 8 to 16 feet in length and weighs 80 to 160 pounds.īe it in the wild or in a marine life aquarium, you will be more likely to see a Giant Pacific octopus in the 14 to 16-foot range than one measuring longer than that.Īll octopuses are semelparous. When talking about the outlying limits of size for any creature it is important to also mention the average size for the species.

#Giant octopus full#

A full length of 45 to 50 feet is often cited as the expected upper limits in size for the Giant Pacific Octopus. The consensus opinion among marine biologists is that larger specimens of this species likely exist. As of mid-2019, it still represents the largest octopus specimen of any species to have been cataloged scientifically. This particular specimen was washed ashore on the coast of British Columbia in Canada. Try saying that a few times in a row and you will understand why we will refer to this octopus by its common name throughout this article.Ī specimen of the Giant Pacific octopus was once discovered which measured just over 30 feet in length and weighed in at 600 pounds. The scientific name for this species is Enteroctopus dofleini. It is the largest of all of the 300-plus species of octopuses alive today. That is exactly the case with the Giant Pacific Octopus. If the word “Giant” appears in your name, chances are that you are going to be large.