Editing Octopus (section)

===Lifespan===

Octopuses have short lifespans, living up to four years.<ref name=Mather/>{{rp|17}} The lifecycles of some species finish in less than half a year.<ref name=Courage/>{{rp|152}} For most octopuses, the ultimate life stage is [[senescence]]. It is the breakdown of cellular function without repair or replacement. It may last from weeks to a few months at most. Males senesce after maturity, while for females, it comes after they lay an egg clutch. During senescence, an octopus does not feed, quickly weakens, and becomes sluggish. Lesions begin to form and the octopus literally degenerates. They may die of starvation or get picked off by predators.<ref name="auto">{{cite journal |journal=Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science |last1=Anderson |first1=Roland C. |last2=Wood |first2=James B. |last3=Byrne |first3=Ruth A. |title=Octopus Senescence: The Beginning of the End |year=2002 |volume=5 |issue=4 |pages=275–283 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7545324 |doi=10.1207/S15327604JAWS0504_02| pmid=16221078 |citeseerx=10.1.1.567.3108 |s2cid=28355735 }}</ref> Senescence is triggered by the optic glands and experimental removal of them after spawning was found to extend their lifecycle and activity.<ref name="hormones">{{cite journal |journal=[[Science (journal)|Science]] |last1=Wodinsky |first1=Jerome |title=Hormonal Inhibition of Feeding and Death in ''Octopus'': Control by Optic Gland Secretion |year=1977 |volume=198 |issue=4320 |pages=948–951 |doi=10.1126/science.198.4320.948 |pmid=17787564| bibcode=1977Sci...198..948W |s2cid=22649186 }}</ref>