Staff at the Dolphin Discovery Centre are keeping a close eye on Lego the octopus's eggs which hang in a lacy curtain at the back of her cave.
Now that she has laid eggs, her days are numbered.
In an ultimate act of selflessness, she ceases to care about herself and devotes her life, what's left of it, sitting on her eggs and blowing jets of water on them to keep them clean and aerated.
Aquarist Jan Tierney, who fondly refers to Lego as 'Bubba', said the chances of the eggs hatching are about a million-to-one as Lego may not have secured a sperm packet from her brief time in the wild.
Ms Tierney said the mating process of an octopus involves the male using a specialised arm, called a hectocotylus, to transfer packets of sperm into the female's mantle cavity.
"The average life span of an octopus is about 18 months to two years, so not very long," she said.
"When they mate, the male dies and the female dies six to eight weeks after she lays her eggs.
"She won't eat and will just fade away."
The female octopus is capable of holding onto the sperm packet and can choose to use it whenever she's ready. But does the ever-elusive Lego have a sperm packet handy?
Only time will tell if the eggs are fertilised and viable, taking six to nine weeks to hatch.
A sign on Lego's tank states that if the eggs do start to develop, they'll be moved to a hatching tank and she will be released back to the ocean to live her final days in freedom.
The octopus's predator - the dolphin, loves playing 'ockey-hockey' with their prey. The name ‘ockey-hockey’ coined for their penchant to throw the octopus out of the water and belt them till their arms break off.
The future is grim, but alas, it will all be over soon.
Ivy James
Journalist for Bunbury Mail, Australian Community Media and Fairfax Media
Journalist for Bunbury Mail, Australian Community Media and Fairfax Media
