"The hectocotylus is a sensory organ, similar to a tongue, that can detect the female hormone progesterone, allowing it to seek out and fertilize a mate."
"In these chance encounters, the arm has to be able to both localize the female, localize the oviduct and very quickly initiate the mating or move on."
"The team found something unexpected: the male put its specialized arm through one of the holes, found the female, and inserted its arm into the female's mantle."
Male octopuses utilize a specialized arm called the hectocotylus to transfer sperm to females. This arm functions as a sensory organ, detecting the female hormone progesterone, which aids in locating and fertilizing a mate. The research highlights the solitary nature of octopuses, necessitating a mechanism for mating without direct visual contact. The study involved observing California two-spot octopuses separated by a barrier, revealing the male's ability to extend its arm and successfully mate with the female.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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