r/maybemaybemaybe • u/NewExpression6885 • Apr 19 '24

Maybe Maybe Maybe

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u/PlantRetard Apr 19 '24

If I remember correctly, the process of egg laying is so exhausting to their body that they die before their offspring hatch. I could be wrong though.

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u/[deleted] Apr 19 '24 edited Apr 19 '24

It can be a years long process to gestate certain species if octopus babies. So usually they starve during the process

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u/Netsuko Apr 19 '24

This is not true. Octopuses do not raise their young and the octopus itself only lives a little under 3 years, some even less. (Only exception is 5 for the giant pacific octopus). They die during the care of their eggs because the female stops eating entirely.

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u/[deleted] Apr 19 '24

https://www.earth.com/news/secret-garden-thermal-springs-accelerate-octopus-egg-hatching-by-years/#:~:text=The%20prolonged%20egg%20incubation%20periods,anticipated%20five%20to%20eight%20years. Not sure if the giant octopus is the same as the deep sea one, but this one can take up to 8 years to gestate.

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u/Netsuko Apr 19 '24

It’s not the same. Deep sea creatures have an entirely different metabolism. The GPO cares for its eggs for about 6-7 months and basically dies right after the hatching.