Building the eggs...?

Joined
Jan 6, 2003
Messages
476
Iv asked before, but havent seen any explanation on how the female weaves the eggs together on strings. When the eggs are developing or coming out of the females body, are they coming out together in ready-made strings formed, or does the female really weave the string together and hang them on the roof of her den? Iv seen in many books and sources that the female does infact weave, but how and how possible?

To me it just seems a bit too tedius of a job for an animal with no joints in the limbs to do such a task which is why the story of octopuses putting a pebble in a clam's shell when it opened and then grabbing the meat inside was pretty much proven false based on their limb capabilities and intelligence. How are the eggs attached to the roof of the den also and with what? Has anyone wondered before?
 
Armstrong;80332 said:
Iv asked before, but havent seen any explanation on how the female weaves the eggs together on strings. When the eggs are developing or coming out of the females body, are they coming out together in ready-made strings formed, or does the female really weave the string together and hang them on the roof of her den? Iv seen in many books and sources that the female does infact weave, but how and how possible?

To me it just seems a bit too tedius of a job for an animal with no joints in the limbs to do such a task which is why the story of octopuses putting a pebble in a clam's shell when it opened and then grabbing the meat inside was pretty much proven false based on their limb capabilities and intelligence. How are the eggs attached to the roof of the den also and with what? Has anyone wondered before?

I've seen a GPO do it and I couldn't tell how she was doing it. I think the eggs come out with the strings attached and she uses her suckers to wrap them around the other egg strings. They are good at it I've seen bimac eggs that look like a cluster of grapes and the Argonauta did the same thing.
 
If that's true, im still curious as to how its done and also pretty fascinated by the fact that female (mother) octopuses KNOW to do this instrinctively...despite it being a pretty specific thing to know how to do out of instinct. It's just interesting because an octopus can do this without learning or seeing eggs stringed together throughout its life repetivively to pick up on the technique or plan of keeping octopus eggs safe and attached to eachother. How does it know to put them on the ceiling of their dens? Some animals are just programed I guess to do specific things during their life cycle, but its always neat at the same time.
 

Shop Amazon

Shop Amazon
Shop Amazon; support TONMO!
Shop Amazon
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Back
Top