tech
Sex at arm’s length? Male octopuses use specialised arm to mate, scientists find
Sensory organ in male cephalopod able to detect female hormone progesterone, even if male cannot see partner
TL;DR
- Male octopuses use a specialized arm called the hectocotylus for mating.
- This arm also functions as a sensory organ, capable of detecting the female hormone progesterone.
- Progesterone detection allows male octopuses to locate females for mating, even without seeing them.
- Experiments demonstrated that male octopuses could mate through a barrier, locating females via their arms.
- The presence of progesterone alone was sufficient to trigger key aspects of mating behavior in male octopuses.
- Receptors on the tip of the hectocotylus are involved in progesterone sensing, suggesting rapid evolution in cephalopods.