The male blue-lined octopus injects females with venom during sex to avoid being eaten, study shows

Tetrodotoxin immobilises the female - who is about two to five times bigger than the male - so mating can occur, researchers observed

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Male blue-lined octopuses inject females with venom during sex, paralysing their larger mates to avoid being eaten, new research has found.

The blue-lined octopus is a tiny, highly dangerous cephalopod found commonly in shallow reefs and tide pools.