Squids  Doryteuthis (Loligo) opalescens in Monterey Bay, California undertake their most intense spawning in April-July.  A unique SCUBA-diving observation of spawning Loligo around La Jolla, California at 16m depth describes large masses of egg capsules, some covering areas up to 3-4m in diameter, with many actively swimming squids nearby.  The squids are about 15cm mantle length for males, and 14cm for females.  The author describes their appearance as “spent”, with flaccid bodies and shreds of loose epithelium, especially on the females.  Most of the egg capsule are attached to other capsules, rather than to objects on the sea floor.  The juveniles hatch after about 7wk (14^oC) at 4mm mantle length.  The author comments that the most common copulatory behaviour is with the male below as shown in the drawing on the Left, although another another type of head-to-head behaviour may sometimes be used (drawing on Right). McGowan 1954 Calif Fish Game 40: 47: for review of life cycle of D. opalescens see Hixon 1983 p. 95 In, Cephalopod life cycles Vol I (Boyle, ed.) Academic Press, London.

A description of squids  Doryteuthis (Loligo) opalescens spawning on sandy bottom at 9m depth off Long Point, Santa Catalina Island, California goes as follows.  The male grasps the female from below and uses his left ventral arm, or hectocotylus, to transfer spermatophores from his siphon to the mantle cavity of the female.  The female later deposits eggs, encased in 10cm-long gelatinous capsules, onto the sandy bottom.  Capsules are most commonly deposited around the periphery of egg masses left by other females.  The author notes the presence of many dead squids lying amongst and around the egg capsules. Hobson 1965 Underwater Nat 3: 20.

NOTE  the author does not actually see the tranfer, but presumes that it must have occurred

A study on the reproductive biology of the 2-spotted octopus Octopus bimaculatus in Catalina Islands, California is uniquely carried out over a 6-yr period entirely with the use of SCUBA.  Matings occur May-July coincidental with increasing water temperatures (15-19^oC).  Females lay their eggs in April-August and hatching is in June-September (50d to hatching at 19^oC; see drawings above Right). Clutch sizes can reach 20,000 eggs. 

The females tend the eggs by cleaning and ventilating, and die soon after the eggs hatch.  Females that lay their eggs too early in the season, for example, from Jan-Mar, generally do not complete the layings (see histogram at Right)

The newly hatched octopuses spend several months in the plankton and then settle to the sea bottom. Interstices in kelp holdfasts Macrocystis pyrifera are attractive settling sites.  The juveniles are most abundant during summer, with a second peak in winter representing the late hatchlings.  The juveniles remain in the holdfasts until attaining about 5cm mantle length.  This occurs in late spring of the following year, at an age of about 8-10mo.  Adults are most abundant during late summer and autumn, but with considerable year-to-year variability.  Once adulthood is reached, an octopus' lifespan is approximately 8-10mo.  If the juvenile's several months in the plankton is included, the maximum life span isabout 2yr.  Ambrose 1988 Malacologia 29: 23. Photograph of O. bimaculatus courtesy Birch Aquarium, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California.

NOTE  eggs of O. bimaculatus are 2-4mm in length, while those of the closely related O. bimaculoides are 10-12mm in length.  The hatchlings of O. bimaculoides immediately assume a benthic way of life, with no planktonic stage.  Forsythe & Hanlon 1988 Malacologia 29: 41.

Eggs of stubby squids Rossia pacifica have been found in the Puget Sound region in the months of February, April, June, and November, with one individual being observed laying in November.  Eggs require 6-8mo to hatch.  The eggs are large, up to 1cm in diameter, and the resulting hatchlings are about 1cm in size.  Clutch sizes range from 50-75.  The volume of eggs deposited represents about half the female’s live mass, and she dies a couple of days after laying.  The eggs are usually deposited on underhangs of rocks, which perhaps keep them clean from “raining” sediments.  Unlike with octopuses, there is no parental care of the eggs.  The authors note that previous to their observations there have been no reports of egg-laying/egg capsules for stuffy squids in the field.  Anderson & Shimek 1994 Veliger 37: 117. Photographs courtesy Roland Anderson & Seattle Aquarium, Washington.

NOTE  in comparison, the eggs of Enteroctopus dofleini are about 6mm in diameter.  Pickford 1964 Bull Bingham Oceanog Coll 19: 1.

Eggs of a stubby squid R. pacifica

Copulating stubby squids R. pacifica.
The male is the smaller of the two 0.5X

Rossia pacifica can readily be cultured in the laboratory.  At seasonally varying seawater temperature in the northern Washington area, embryonic development takes 5-6mo. From hatching to senescence takes another 18-19mo, so the total life span is about 2yr.  Collections of Rossia in the Burrows Bay, Washington area reveal the presence of 2 distinct cohorts representing the 2yr of overlapping generations.  Hatching, which occurs in the lab from late Oct–Dec, appears to be synchronised with the appearance of the new moon.  The author suggests that the dark skies associated with declining daylight of late autumn and the new moon period may offer protection from predators.  Additionally, the prolonged hatching period may be a strategy to spread out the appearance of the offspring.  Summers 1985 Vie Milieu 35: 249. Photograph courtesy Roland Anderson and the Seattle Aquarium, Washington.

NOTE to see these data go to FEEDING & GROWTH: GROWTH

Stubby squid Rossia pacifica 1X

Presented here are photographs of developmental stages of a few west-coast cephalopods. Photograph on the Right and on the far Right below are courtesy Roland Anderson and the Seattle Aquarium, Washington. First 3 photos below from Left to Right courtesy Shawn Robinson, Simon Fraser University, British Columbia.

Female Octopus rubescens tending
her eggs. The eggs are 3-4mm in length.