The natural world is filled with dedicated mothers.
Mama bears are famously protective of their young. Queen bees give birth about 2000 times each day. Elephant babies are not weaned off their mother’s milk until as late as ten years old.
But perhaps no animal can boast the same commitment to their young as the mother octopus.
After laying a clutch of eggs (something they only do once, for reasons that will soon become apparent) the mother octopus will brood over them carefully, stroking them and using her tentacles to blow fresh, oxygen-rich water over them. As the eggs continue to develop, the mother will continue to watch over them even as her own health suffers: she stops hunting, and therefore stops eating…unless she decides to begin tearing off and eating her own tentacles.
Eventually, she dies just before the eggs hatch, watching over them just long enough to ensure that no predators get at them. It’s kind of heartbreaking to imagine cute little octopuses hatching next to the sad remains of their mother.
However, scientists would advise us not to get too heartbroken; octopuses are notorious cannibals, and it’s thought that the mother sacrifices herself to make sure that she doesn’t eat the delicious little babies when they hatch. And in case you were wondering where dad is in all this…well, mama octopus probably killed and ate him shortly after mating.
It’s not pretty, but it works: the octopus has been around since at least the Jurassic period, and they’re among the cleverest creatures in the sea.
What makes this a beautiful song:
1. For much of its duration, it sticks to the pentatonic scale in a way that is very reminiscent of the song we listened to back in week 422…to the point that it must be intentional.
2. Breaking from the pentatonic section, the song falls into a lovely sequence of descending chords that I can only describe as “jazzy Chopin.”
3. The slow pace and muted quality of the piano make for an under-the-sea vibe that’s captivating enough to make you want to brood over some eggs for a while.
Recommended listening activity:
Hugging your mother as if you had eight arms.