Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus, told Radiolab she watched two octopuses mate at the Seattle Aquarium one Valentine's Day. Both turned bright red as the female reached the male, and they wrapped each other in their suckers. Afterwards they stayed together, sometimes for hours, and often both turned white, the color of a relaxed octopus.
Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on Radiolab (2026-10-23). Read the whole episode summary →