Entry of pollutants from seawater into the spermatophore and spermatozoa of the giant octopus of the North Pacific

Copulation in the giant octopus of the North Pacific, Octopus dofleini martini, takes place in seawater and lasts 2 h. During that time the spermatophore undergoes the spermatophoric reaction resulting in the transfer of spermatozoa to the female. Methylmercuric chloride and several organochlorine pollutants enter readily the spermatophore during the sphermatophoric reaction and accumulate in the spermatozoa at surprisingly high concentrations, in some instances exceeding many fold the levels in the seawater.