The ultimate goal of all life on Earth is to procreate. Mammals are generally regarded as good parents in comparison to lower life forms that lay eggs and depart the scene. However, no greater devotion to raising offspring has ever been witnessed by humans than that of a deep sea octopus with no common name. A female
Graneledone boreopacifica was observed brooding her young for
fifty-three months! During that incredible period of 4½ years she did not eat, slowly turning white from her usual red color
[photo]. She starved herself to death giving her young a chance to survive in the deep ocean. According to the scientists who wrote of her extraordinary maternal care in PLoS ONE this is the longest brooding period every reported for any animal species. The researchers returned to the brooding site 18 times using a remotely controlled submersible and each time they food the mother octopus clinging to a vertical rock face in the Monterey Submarine Canyon, covering her brood with curled arms
[photo below]. They observed continuous growth of her clutch, evidence that it was the same one. Observers said many octopus females do not feed while brooding and they saw this female push away crustaceans from her eggs. She even refused food when offered to her by the submersible. Most octopus mothers brood for a few months, not four-and-a-half years.
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| credit: Robinson et al |
This species' hatchlings are the most well developed known to man. Growing eggs require constant influxes of oxygen provided by their mother repeatedly squirting water over her brood. Clearly the extreme length of the developmental state is an evolutionary adaptation intended to increase the survival of offspring in the extreme environment of the cold, deep ocean. Only about 155 eggs hatched which is a small number compared to other octopus species that lay tens-of-thousands of eggs.
Denigrate this selfless behavior as only animal instinct, but the tenacity in all its forms of life often despite man's work is always marvelous to behold.
US Person believes a common name should be given to this octopus species to honor its dedication to preserving life: St.Mary's octopus.
