Article: Study of octopus mating awash in drama

BERKELEY, Calif. -- Octopus sex is simple, dull and quick -- at least that's what scientists used to think. Instead, it turns out to be complex, sophisticated and rife with petty rivalries.

In the most detailed research ever conducted on this topic in the wild, biologists at the University of California at Berkeley focused on the mating behavior of the Abdopus aculeatus, one of more than 300 species of octopus. They were stunned at what they learned.

"The main surprise was the fact we had this idea that they were completely solitary, with interactions few and far between," said Christine Huffard, lead author on a study recently published in Marine Biology, a science journal. "But they ...

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