Male blue-lined octopuses inject a powerful neurotoxin into the hearts of females before mating to avoid being eaten, ...

The blue-lined octopus is a creature of paradox. It’s a small yet deadly creature with enough paralyzing venom to kill a man. It’s also got a dazzling colorful display but a voracious appetite. To top ...

And in the case of the male blue-lined octopus, his neurotoxin supply serves as a defensive mechanism against his mate. Sexual cannibalism is documented across a wide range of species ...

“These incredible animals deserve better than lives diminished to confinement and suffering,” said Keri Tietge, octopus project ... and can ultimately lead to cannibalism”.

Other male octopuses combat sexual cannibalism in other ways, by developing detachable mating arms, for instance. But none of these octopuses use toxins that are as potentially deadly as those of the ...

Sexual cannibalism is common in cephalopods such ... describing the males as a “final snack.” But while other octopus species have evolved longer mating arms that allow them to maintain ...