Female Octopus Behavior.
Female octopuses undergo remarkable behavioral changes following reproduction. Sexually mature, non-mated octopuses are active predators. In the first stage of maternal brooding, feeding females remain den-bound even as they capture prey. Brooding females then begin fasting. In the last stage before death, females in decline exhibit signs of precipitate organismal senescence, including over-grooming, prolonged periods outside of the den, and self-destructive behaviors.