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Seattle Aquarium cancels octopus mating session over cannibalism fears

Posted at 10:10 AM, Feb 15, 2016
and last updated 2016-02-15 10:10:25-05

Turns out, bigger is not always better.

Just ask Kong, an octopus whose mating session was canceled because he’s too big.

Kong was scheduled to be the main attraction at a Seattle Aquarium event that showcases the mating of the eight-armed creatures.

The aquarium invites visitors to watch an octopus couple mating every year on Valentine’s Day, CNN affiliate KOMO reported. It canceled the event this year because it could not find a female octopus large enough for Kong.

The aquarium was concerned the 70-pound cephalopod could eat the creature it mates with, according to the affiliate. The female octopus available was about half his weight, forcing the aquarium to call off the sex session.

Kong’s size may have saved his life — for now.

An octopus dies soon after mating