The La Jolla institution has hatched, raised and settled more than 15 red octopuses in aquarium care, a historic feat in cephalopod care.
Birch Aquarium at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography has successfully hatched, raised and “settled” more than 15 red octopuses in aquarium care, marking a first in cephalopod care.
Octopus settlement is still a largely unknown phase of a cephalopod’s life, primarily because scientists have rarely observed this transition from a free-swimming, planktonic stage to a benthic, settled lifestyle on the seafloor.
The Birch Aquarium’s breakthrough offers a rare, detailed glimpse into the early life stages of the red octopus, helping scientists better understand octopus settlement.
“This is an exciting opportunity to be a pioneer in the largely unknown early life stage of red octopuses,” Birch senior aquarist Maddie Tracewell said in a press release.” It has been incredibly fun and rewarding to watch them develop over the past six months.”
Red octopuses, found along the Pacific coast, typically live for about two years and can grow to about 20 inches as adults.
