The little octopus embryos continue to develop. These pictures were taken yesterday, Day 79. Their chromatophores are extremely active now. Here are two pictures taken within seconds of each other. Note the dramatic change in size of many of the chromatophores, especially the ones just behind the eyes:
While Kristin and Carol were taking care of the octopus last week, they noticed that the ink sacs are now visible. In the next image, look for the small black angular spot within the mantle (see white arrow).
In the image above, you can also see the octopus' arms grasping what's remaining of the external yolk — a small white ball at the end of the capsule. We don't know exactly how many days are left before they hatch, but we're still estimating sometime within the next few weeks.
For more about this story, see posts on 19 September 2013 (inversion), 5 September 2013 (halfway), and 20 August 2013 (egg-laying).
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