The Physiology of Reproduction in Cephalopods

Physiological and behavioral aspects of reproduction in cephalopods have been widely addressed. In this chapter, new as well as old data on cephalo- pods reproduction are reported. In these complex mollusks, sexes are separated with sexual maturity peaking at different stages of lifespan cycle, depending on the sex. Males mature earlier than females, the latter showing generally a semelparous behavior. Although some differences among decapods and octopods during court- ship and mating strategies, these orders show great anatomical similarities in reproductive organs. Fertilization is external (decapods) or internal (octo- pods), but in both cases sperm-attracting factors seem to be involved. The bulk of knowledge on the physiological control of reproduction comes from studies on Octopus vulgaris. From the pivotal hypothesis of Wells and Wells (1959), more studies have been accumulated and a more complex frame of nervous and endocrine control has been hypothesized (Di Cristo, 2013). New data from genomics and transcriptomics analyses could enrich and clarify some key steps of reproduction in these animals.