Lifespan of an Octopus

There is no doubt about the fact that we have taken some giant strides in marine biology over the last few years, but even today there exist certain attributes of the marine biome which we are not aware of. One such attribute is the lifespan of marine species. While the octopus is one marine species which almost all of us have heard of, not many of us take any interest in its lifespan. Not just their lifespan, but there also exist other facets of their life which are quite interesting in themselves.

Octopus Facts

An octopus is a marine animal which has two eyes, four pairs of arms and bilateral symmetry - which is a typical characteristic of cephalopods. The hard beak that this animal sports along with its mouth is located at a center point where its arms merge. There are approximately 300 recognized species of octopus on our planet which are found in different regions of the ocean, right from deep ocean floor to coral reefs. The North Pacific Giant Octopus is the largest octopus with an arm-span of 14 ft. On an average, it weighs around 33 lbs but specimen weighing even more have also been recorded. Similarly, there are quite a few species which do not weigh more than 1 inch. Even though all the species of octopus that are found on the planet are venomous to a certain extent, only the Blue-ringed octopus, native to the Pacific Ocean, has venom that is potent enough to kill humans.

Octopus Lifespan

The life expectancy of octopuses is one of the shortest among marine animals, with some species having a lifespan of mere six months. There do exist larger species which live for 3-4 years in the wild, but if the normal lifespan is what you are looking for it will come to around 3 years on an average. It may come as a surprise for many, but the death of an octopus is related to its reproduction process. The male members in this species die within a few months of mating, while the females die shortly after the eggs hatch. Many people believe that the female octopuses die of starvation as they neglect food after laying eggs which is not true at all. The genetically programmed death in these females is triggered by endocrine which is secreted from the two optic glands within their body. In case of pet octopuses, these glands are surgically removed to prolong their lifespan.

Those octopus species which inhabit the warm waters of the world have a shorter lifespan as compared to their counterparts in colder regions. The lifespan of common octopus - which is most widely found octopus, ranges between one to two years. With an average lifespan of 3 years, the giant pacific octopus is the longest living octopus species on the planet. The short lifespan of this species is well complimented by their tendency to reproduce fast. On an average, the female lays 200,000 eggs - a number which varies depending on which species of octopus is being taken into consideration. As we mentioned earlier, the female octopus dies a few months after the eggs hatch and the young ones are left to fend for themselves. The young ones grow very fast and attain maturity within 150 days of their birth.

There is no questioning the popularity of octopuses in reference as food or as pets, but their life expectancy is surely something which not many people are aware of. All in all, the marine biome is full of such fascinating animals, and taking efforts in learning new things about them can never go waste.