#octopus

All articles tagged with "octopus"

Fossil Beaks Suggest Giant Cretaceous Octopuses Were Among the Ocean’s Top Predators

Researchers studying fossilized octopus jaws say one Cretaceous species may have reached nearly 19 meters in total length, placing it among the largest and most formidable invertebrate predators known.

Key Takeaways

Researchers studied 27 fossil octopus jaws dating from 100 million to 72 million years ago.
One species, Nanaimoteuthis haggarti, may have reached 6.6 to 18.6 meters in total length.

DT Editorial Team·Apr 24, 2026·via newscientist.com

Harvard-linked research shows octopuses can mate using a ‘taste by touch’ system

A new study says octopuses can locate mates and reproduce at arm’s length using a sensory system that lets them effectively ‘taste by touch.’

Key Takeaways

Researchers say octopuses use a taste-by-touch sensory system during mating.
The study suggests they can couple at arm’s length without seeing each other.

DT Editorial Team·Apr 2, 2026·via phys.org

Harvard-led study finds octopus mating arm can also sense where sperm should go

Researchers studying octopus mating found that the male hectocotylus is not just a reproductive appendage but also a sensory organ able to chemically detect the target site inside the female.

Key Takeaways

Researchers found the octopus hectocotylus is both a reproductive and sensory organ.
The arm can chemically detect the target site inside the female.

DT Editorial Team·Apr 2, 2026·via gizmodo.com