Octopus mothers slam themselves against rocks and eat their own arms before their eggs hatch. Scientists have discovered what leads to the self-destruction.
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00:02 For most octopus moms, brooding eggs
00:09 is the last thing she'll ever do.
00:11 As her eggs get close to hatching,
00:13 an octopus mother will self-destruct.
00:16 She stops eating.
00:17 She may tear at her own skin,
00:19 bang her body against rocks,
00:21 or even eat her own arms.
00:23 Now researchers know why.
00:25 When an octopus mom lays eggs,
00:28 a set of glands near her eyes called the optic glands
00:31 start amping up their production
00:32 of certain components of cholesterol.
00:34 These molecules seem to act as signals
00:37 that kick off a fetal frenzy.
00:39 The findings could help explain why an intelligent creature
00:46 like the octopus lives for merely a year.
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