Short Lives and Devoted Mothers

For such clever animals, most octopuses live surprisingly short lives, often only one or two years.

The giant Pacific octopus is one of the longest-lived, reaching around three to five years.

Female octopuses guard their eggs closely, cleaning them and blowing fresh water over them. Many stop eating during this time and die soon after the eggs hatch.

One deep-sea octopus was seen guarding her eggs for about four and a half years, the longest brooding period known for any animal.