Octopus cyanea males are sexually mature at 7-9 months after they settle out of the
plankton [Van Heukelem, 1983]. (dw - small egged)
Females lay their one and only clutch of eggs at about 10-11 months, having mated about a month earlier [Van Heukelem, 1983].
In this species, sexual maturity seems to be based on age, not size [Van Heukelem, 1983]. Mature adults commonly weigh between 340 and 6000 grams [Van Heukelem, 1983], (dw - huge range in size) although Hawaii’s state record octopus, caught in 2000 off Oahu, weighed 8623 grams (19.01 pounds) [Hawaiian Fishing News, 2003]. Each individual’s adult size depends heavily upon the conditions of food availability, water temperature and day length during the juvenile growth period [Van Heukelem, 1983]. When those conditions are favorable, Octopus cyanea are capable of very rapid growth. In the laboratory, juveniles gained up to 4.1% of body weight per day when fed ad libitum [Van Heukelem, 1983].
Octopus cyanea live for just 12-15 months after settling from the plankton [Van Heukelem, 1983]. (The length of the planktonic larval stage is not known [Van Heukelem, 1983], but the total lifespan of this species, from egg to senescent death, is most likely less than 18 months).
Octopus cyanea breed once and then die [Van Heukelem, 1983]. Females lay 300,000-700,000 eggs in this single breeding cycle [Van Heukelem, 1983], with larger females laying more eggs [Van Heukelem, 1983].
Species range: Octopus cyanea is widely distributed throughout the warmer waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans. It is considered a common (not rare) species throughout its range [Van Heukelem, 1983]. Evidence of special behaviors that increase ease of capture (spawning agregations, site fidelity, etc): While Octopus cyanea do shelter in dens, they stay a maximum of 40 days or so in one den. [Van Heukelem, 1983]. Spawning occurs year-round in Hawaiian waters [Van Heukelem, 1983]. Females brood their eggs, but go into hiding and do not eat during this process [Van Heukelem, 1983], making them unlikely to enter a trap or follow a fishing lure.