An Israel Nature and Parks Authority supervisor managed this week to capture the rare sight of two octopuses courting and mating, off the Gulf of Aqaba in Eilat.
Male octopuses mate with their female counterparts from a distance, as mating can be quite dangerous to the males. The female octopuses are known to sometimes eat the male octopus during sexual intercourse.
The female attaches string of fertilized eggs to rocks in the waters about 40 days following the insemination, where she guards them for around five months until they hatch.
An octopus' lifespan is relatively short, ranging from three to five years. The male octopus will die not long after mating with his female counterpart, usually after only several months or even weeks.
Octopus intelligence is not yet entirely understood. Considered one of the smartest invertebrates in the world, the mollusks were shown to have the ability to solve mazes, complete complex tasks in order to be rewarded with food, and even release themselves from containers.