A Rare Octopus Discovery

An area teeming with hundreds of octopuses actively hatching eggs has been observed roughly 2 miles under the ocean surface off the Costa Rican coast, a team of researchers revealed this week. The rare discovery marks just the third known octopus nursery and sheds light on the life-cycle and child-rearing behaviors of the animals.

Typically solitary creatures preferring near-freezing temperatures (cephalopod 101), the roughly football field-sized area was located near a hydrothermal vent, raising nearby temperatures by almost 20 degrees. Scientists initially believed the warmer waters would be inhospitable to octopus hatchlings, and it remains unknown whether the specific species has adapted to the environment. See video from the expedition here.

Among other peculiar octopus behaviors, new mothers undergo a hormonal shift that leads them into a spiral of self-destruction.