Media Releases
No Baby Octopus This Time
Posted on: March 24, 2011
March 23, 2011 SIDNEY, BC — Visitors to the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre have been enthralled to watch Darla, a female octopus, care for more than 30,000 eggs in the Centre’s custom-designed octopus habitat. For the past eight months, since she laid the eggs in the overhead exhibit, visitors have been able to observe Darla jetting water past the eggs while constantly cleaning them by sweeping her tentacles across the egg sacs. It has been an amazing learning experience for everyone.
Oceaneers and the Centre’s professional aquarists have been monitoring the situation closely. After consulting with other aquariums and octopus experts, Jim Cosgrove and Roland Anderson, the team has come to the conclusion that the eggs are not fertile. The Centre will not be experiencing an octopus baby boom this time around.
Mike Anderson, Head Aquarist, said that the Centre was delighted that an octopus would feel comfortable enough in the aquarium’s octopus habitat to lay her eggs in the first place. The big question always was whether Darla had been out on a date with a male octopus before she arrived at the Centre. As Anderson explained, “The sex life of octopus is a marvel of adaptation. The female octopus is very much in control. She collects sperm from the male and holds it until she chooses to fertilize and lay her eggs at a time and place that suit her.” The female octopus reaches the end of her life cycle within a few months after laying eggs. Consequently, the Centre has taken Darla off display and has introduced two new young octopuses to the exhibit.
Media Contacts
Lauren Obee
Public Relations Manager
Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre
pr@oceandiscovery.ca
250.665.7511 ext. 109
Angus Matthews
Executive Director
Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre
angus@oceandiscovery.ca
250.665.7511 ext. 108
