Mating,egg-laying and hatching of Octopus tetricus (Mollusca: Cephalopoda) in the laboratory

Observations on mating, egg-laying and hatching of aquarium-held individuals of Octopus tetricus Gould, 1852 are described. Females were able to store viable spermatozoa for periods up to 114 days, and laid many small eggs in strings 10 to 12 cm long. The duration of embryonic development varied inversely with temperature. The newly hatched planktonic larvae were 2.5 mm long by 1.1 mm wide, but attempts to rear them were unsuccessful, the longest survival being 21 days. The females died following egg hatching.