Octopus Mating Exhibit Cancelled Due to Cannibalism Fears

The Seattle Aquarium, known for its octopus collection, has had an annual tradition for the past decade. Every Valentine’s Day, they set up two of the shape-shifting creates on a “blind date” and try to have them mate in front of the audience.

two-month-old octopus (Octupus Vulagaris) tries to unscrew the lid of a jar to get hold of its content, a crab, 23 June 2004 at Denmark's Aquarium in Copenhagen. JORGEN JESSEN/AFP/Getty Images

The Seattle Aquarium, known for its octopus collection, has had an annual tradition for the past decade. Every Valentine’s Day, they set up two of the shape-shifting creatures on a “blind date” and try to have them mate in front of the audience.

But this year, the event was cancelled by the aquarium curators because they couldn’t find a suitable mate for the male octopus, Crosscut reports.

The curators couldn’t find a large enough mate for the male octopus, a 70-pounder named Kong. The 30 to 45 pound females that were available were so small relative to Kong that he might mistake her for food and eat her.

Under the right circumstances, the octopus can be downright vicious, and they have been videotaped attacking and eating sharks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q36_8s5z6S8