Octopus mating session canceled due to cannibalism concerns

It was not a happy Valentine’s Day for a 70-pound octopus who was denied the chance to mate due to fears he would cannibalize his eight-armed lover.

The Seattle Aquarium cancelled the planned public octopus mating session because the male, named Kong, weighed 70 pounds, nearly twice as much as the female. Officials said such a disparity could lead the male to eat the smaller cephalopod, according to KOMO.

The cancelled sex act could prolong Kong’s life, however. Octopus’ typically live only a few years, mate once near the end of their lives and then die.

Kong is set to be released into the Puget Sound on Monday, KOMO reported.

A similar event held at the Seattle Aquarium last year featured different creatures surrounded by “decorative hearts, roses and romantic music,” according to KIRO.