Video courtesy of the Virginia Aquarium
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - The Virginia Aquarium's octopus is a new mom!
Their Caribbean Two-Spot Octopus (scientific name: Octopus briareus) laid eggs, and 15 of them hatched Tuesday.
Aquarium staff say it is common for octopuses to lay more than 100 eggs in its clutch to ensure at least one makes it to adulthood. Some of the octopus' eggs have not hatched yet.
You may also be wondering why the hatchling suddenly changed from a translucent color to brown. According to staff, octopuses have chromatophores - cells that contain pigment - that change color, which allow them to camouflage themselves. They believe that the sudden stimulation of hatching caused them to fire off.
