Birch Aquarium Celebrates First-Ever Settlement Of Red Octopuses

LA JOLLA, CA — Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography has successfully hatched, raised and settled more than 15 red octopuses in captivity, a milestone experts believe marks the first time the species has completed this early life stage under human care.

The octopuses hatched at the aquarium last October and have spent the past six months developing from free-swimming planktonic paralarvae into bottom-dwelling juveniles, a transition known as settlement.

"This is an exciting opportunity to be a pioneer in the largely unknown early life stage of red octopuses," said Maddy Tracewell, Birch Aquarium's senior aquarist of animal health. "It has been incredibly fun and rewarding to watch them develop over the past six months."

Settlement is one of the least understood phases of a cephalopod's life cycle, largely because scientists have rarely observed the process. The aquarium's breakthrough offers a rare, detailed glimpse into the early life stages of the red octopus, helping scientists better understand octopus settlement as a whole.

Red octopuses are a small-egg species that produce thousands of tiny eggs. After hatching, the young drift with ocean currents for weeks before gradually transitioning through multiple developmental stages over several months.

Red octopuses typically live for about two years and can grow to roughly 20 inches in length. The species is found along the Pacific coast, from Central Alaska to Northern Mexico.