Octopus kaurna
(That's one female at the center of a mass of males)
Figure from Cephalopods: A World Guide (amzn/b&n/abe/pwll), by Mark Norman.
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PZ Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
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Friday Cephalopod: Octopus orgy!
Category: Cephalopods • Organisms
Posted on: May 1, 2009 5:47 AM, by PZ Myers
Octopus kaurna
(That's one female at the center of a mass of males)
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Comments
Posted by: SteveL
|
May 1, 2009 5:53 AM
The males die after mating don't they?
Posted by: anthonzi
|
May 1, 2009 5:57 AM
mhmmm...DP
Posted by: pikeamus | May 1, 2009 6:02 AM
I think technically it's a gangbang if there is only one female. If it were only one male and several females it would be a cluster fuck. I think you need at least two females and two males for an orgy.
Posted by: Brian | May 1, 2009 6:04 AM
o_O
Posted by: pikeamus | May 1, 2009 6:05 AM
I'm talking colloquially of course. Definitionally 'orgy' doesn't have numbers.
Posted by: blf
|
May 1, 2009 6:25 AM
Whilst I like octopus (and esp. squid) sushi, that lady octopus must be really hungry eat all them other oct—whatever the feck the plural of octupus is—s/i/en/…
Posted by: commentarina | May 1, 2009 6:27 AM
I'm sorry, when that many guys get in a pile with one gal, the lady is just there to preserve the illusion of heterosexuality. These self-hating octo-queens are lying to themselves about their real desires. Internalised homophobia in the cephalopod world - what a disappointment.
Posted by: Ichthyic | May 1, 2009 6:36 AM
The males die after mating don't they?
ayup. In every species I can think of, anyway. However, there is some variability in exactly how long this takes. It's months for some, hours or days for others.
If you're curious as to why...
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090115145640AAY8yR7
some good links and discussion of semelparous mating strategies there.
Posted by: Naked Bunny with a Whip
|
May 1, 2009 6:51 AM
This is why girls were afraid to join the computer club back when I was a teenager, I'll bet.
Posted by: Romeo Vitelli | May 1, 2009 7:09 AM
Octopus porn? Horrors! Won't someone think of the children?
Posted by: blf
|
May 1, 2009 7:22 AM
Pee Zed is. Cool! Neat! Look at all them arms!
Anyways, there's no wardrobe malfunction there. Is it possible to do p0rn without a malfunctioning or missing wardrobe? But, come to think of it, there's no wardrobe shown at all… so yea, maybe it is p0rn.
But where's the bacon?
Posted by: Rev. BigDumbChimp | May 1, 2009 7:56 AM
Where's the cheesy 70's porn soundtrack to go with this?
Bow chicki bow wooow
Posted by: Physicalist | May 1, 2009 8:20 AM
Aren't you supposed to put a "NSFW" label on these sort of pics?
Posted by: SEF | May 1, 2009 8:36 AM
It seems unlikely that the female is an entirely willing participant in that pile-up. So I suspect it's more of a gang-rape than an orgy.
Posted by: Steve
|
May 1, 2009 8:36 AM
Free cephaloporn! I love it!!
Posted by: Eidolon
|
May 1, 2009 8:36 AM
I can't wait to get the frantic AFA e-mail about this latest ass-sult on American decency.
Posted by: eddie
|
May 1, 2009 8:58 AM
I once heard that sex is best with an odd number of participants. I thought; "Hey! I'm OK with just one, then". Then I thought; "Sex is much better with odd participants".
Posted by: ouini
|
May 1, 2009 9:03 AM
Kaurna Sutra.
Posted by: rnb | May 1, 2009 10:07 AM
"The males die after mating don't they?
ayup. In every species I can think of, anyway. However, there is some variability in exactly how long this takes. It's months for some, hours or days for others."
I think human males die after mating also. It may take up to 80 years........
Posted by: Susan | May 1, 2009 10:14 AM
What an appropriate photo for The First of May!
Posted by: Postman | May 1, 2009 10:32 AM
You know, I like octopus... es, and I like sex. For some reason, though, when you put them together...
Posted by: Glen Davidson
|
May 1, 2009 10:42 AM
This is what happens when you don't believe in Jebus. Damn atheistic animals!
Glen D
http://tinyurl.com/6mb592
Posted by: Victoriajoy | May 1, 2009 11:20 AM
Ahhh, yes. This takes me back to my college days.
Posted by: Heracleum | May 1, 2009 12:17 PM
Speaking of tentacles -- PZ, if you are redecorating your house you might want to consider this furniture: http://tinyurl.com/cjlf5v
Posted by: Peter B. | May 1, 2009 7:51 PM
Ooohhh yes baby!!! Thats right, ... no, no, a little higher please!
eddie @ #17...
Could be - depends what you're into.
blf @ #6
Octopodes actually - octopus is literally eight-foot. From the Greek -pus = foot, hence for any word based on this root, the plural is -podes or -podas = feet. As in podiatry (feet doctoring). Also applies to platypus/platypodes. Octopuses is acceptable in general usage though, but not technically correct. The Latin singular -us to plural -i (as in radius/radii) is definitely WRONG, and will make you appear a crass idiot if you try it in educated company.
Hey PZ, can you please find us some hot monotreme porn too?? My mind boggles at the thought of echidnas copulating.
Posted by: Ichthyic | May 1, 2009 10:04 PM
Octopodes actually
actually, I think you'll also find that colloquial usage amongst zoologists has the plural the same as the singular, unless you are speaking of different species, then it becomes octopuses.
much like it is for "fish".
one fish, two fish, red and blue fishes.
so one or more octopus (same species), more than one different species - octopuses.
depends on who you hang with, I guess: scientists or greeks.
Posted by: gaypaganunitarianagnostic | May 2, 2009 1:34 AM
No.3 you don't need any females for an orgy. Don't know if you need need any males - not my area of knowledge.
Posted by: Last Hussar | May 2, 2009 5:08 AM
IcyThyic- What if they are Greek Scientists?
Don't the French have the phase 'le petit mort' to describe passing out after orgasm?
Posted by: blf
|
May 2, 2009 5:47 AM
Fluent Français speakers can, probably will, and definitely should correct me, but I've understand that phrase (which translates as “the little death”) to mean the orgasm itself, but has been widened to include fainting afterwards.
Posted by: Brian | May 3, 2009 3:19 AM
This picture just cries out for a caption contest.
"I'll be your James Bond if you'll give me some octopussy"
Posted by: MadScientist | May 3, 2009 7:44 AM
Group hug! A hug does look a bit awkward with all those appendages though. Hmm ... that reminds me of dinner the other evening - grilled octopus.