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Octopuses Get Leg Up On Sexual Competition

By The Associated Press

Marine biologists studying wild octopuses have found a kinky and violent society of jealous murders and gender-bending tricks. Octopuses Get Leg Up On Sexual Competition

Published: Wed, April 02, 2008 - 9:31 am Last Updated: Wed, April 02, 2008 - 9:33 am

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Marine biologists studying wild octopuses
have found a kinky and violent society of jealous murders and
gender-bending tricks.
The new study was conducted by researchers from the University
of California, Berkeley, who journeyed off the coast of Indonesia.
They found that wild octopuses are far from the shy, unromantic
loners their captive brethren appear to be.
The scientists saw picky, macho males carefully select a mate,
then guard their newly domesticated digs so jealously that they
would occasionally use their 8-to-10-inch tentacles to strangle a
romantic rival to death.
The researchers also observed smaller "sneaker" male octopuses
putting on feminine airs, such as swimming girlishly near the
bottom and keeping their male brown stripes hidden, in order to win
unsuspecting conquests.
The findings are published in the journal Marine Biology.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)