STRANGE MATING. Argonautidae, or paper nautiluses, are pelagic octopuses, and the dwarf males have an exaggerated copulatory tentacle equipped with a with penis with tentacles, which detaches during breeding into an autonomous missile called a hectocotylus, and swims about for some time seeking females. Females sometimes keep the little creature inside the brood case until her eggs are mature. This strange detachment can survive for 7 hours without water, This penis has been mistaken for a parasitic worm, and for a new male form of the octopus.
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linkedin post 2022-06-29 05:12:48
Nigel Fleming
September 21, 2022