Elephant mothers carry their calves for nearly two years, and penguin fathers endure weeks of Antarctic winds to keep their chicks alive. Yet one female octopus, Graneledone boreopacifica, surpasses ...

For an octopus mother, mating marks the beginning of the end. For an octopus mother, mating marks the beginning of the end. She chooses a mate, lays her eggs, and spends her final days guarding them.