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Name: Jason H.
Status: student
Age: 20s
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: 2000-2001
Question:
I am a senior wildlife biology student, and I have been trying to find out the answer to a question.

Why do MALE octopuses die shortly after mating? I've been trying to think of the evolutionary advantages to this, but the answers I come up with don't impress me. Ha.

Thanks so much for any help you can give.

Replies:
Well, evolutionarily speaking, ALL of us could die shortly after a successful mating, because we have "done our duty". I suppose once offspring are created, the parents are no longer needed. A female may be able to have many offspring in her lifetime, so maybe keeping her around makes sense.

VanHoeck

I have read accounts of the male (in some species) will reside with the female in some protected area after the transfer of sperm by the male. This would indicate that the male does not die immediately after the sperm has been transfered in some species. I have been unable to find any accounts to support the idea that males die after mating.

Steve Sample

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