An aquarium in Kochi City has succeeded in artificially hatching the rare octopus "Amidako".
Experts familiar with ecology such as octopus say, "Records about artificial hatching of Ocythoe tuberculosis are extremely rare and academically valuable."
Ocythoe tuberculosis is characterized by having mesh-like folds on the surface of the body, and there are very few cases of breeding in Japan, and it is known as a rare octopus.
On the 11th of this month, a female Ocythoe tuberculosis with a size of about 60 cm was caught on a set net in Susaki City, Kochi Prefecture, and brought to the Katsurahama Aquarium in Kochi City.
The octopus died on the 15th of this month, but the aquarium has protected about 1500 fertilized eggs before the octopus died and has continued to challenge for artificial hatching.
According to the aquarium, eggs began to hatch one after another from the morning of the 25th, and so far about 200 eggs have returned from the eggs.
Ocythoe tuberculosis, which had just returned from an egg, was about 2 to 3 mm in length and used its short legs to swim vigorously in the aquarium.
Daiki Urakawa, the keeper, said, "I was surprised that I was born earlier than I expected, but I am relieved that I was born safely. Each of the observed records may lead to new discoveries. Therefore, I want to record everything without leaking it. "
Professor Yuzuru Ikeda of the Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, who is familiar with the ecology of octopuses, said, "It is rare for an octopus that lives in the open sea like an octopus to be captured, but it is even more rare for it to have a mature fertilized egg. Furthermore, there is no record of the hatching of the octopus in captivity, which is extremely rare. It would be academically valuable if the aquarium could record how the octopus was born and raised. " I'm talking to you.