Nashenets showed this PHOTO and the whole network started asking: What is this?

A photo posted on social media has caught the attention of users. It was posted with the following warning:

If you find this, please don't touch it.

 

What you see are octopus eggs, and the mother, who is down there, is taking care of them. The mother is taking care of them all by herself, without even going out to look for food. She uses up all her energy reserves, and when the little ones emerge and leave the cave, she dies immediately.

They have only one brood of children in their short lives.                                                                             Octopuses have a rather unique and often dramatic reproduction process. Here's how it goes:

1.  Dating and courtship

• Octopuses often use complex color changes and tentacle movements to attract a mate.
• Depending on the species, the male can be quite assertive or cautious, as some female octopuses are prone to aggression and may even eat the male after mating.

2.  Fertilization

• The male octopus uses a specialized tentacle called  the hectocotylus to transfer spermatophores (sperm packets) into the female's mantle.
• Some males leave the hectocotylus in the female and may even die soon after.

3.  Egg laying

• The female lays  thousands to hundreds of thousands of eggs , usually attached to rocks or in shelter.
• She stays with the eggs, fanning them with water and protecting them from predators.

4.  The Female Victim

• During this period, the female  stops feeding  and spends all her energy caring for the eggs.
• After the young hatch, she usually dies of exhaustion.

5.  Birth of baby octopuses

• When the eggs hatch, the little octopuses begin their independent lives, immediately swimming and hiding from predators.
• They are miniature versions of adults and develop relatively quickly.

This reproductive cycle is a one-time occurrence for most octopuses – after breeding, the male dies soon after, and the female dies after the offspring hatch.