The optic glands are

endocrine organs The endocrine system is a messenger system comprising feedback loops of the hormones released by internal glands of an organism directly into the circulatory system, regulating distant target organs. In vertebrates, the hypothalamus is the neu ...

in the

octopus An octopus ( : octopuses or octopodes, see below for variants) is a soft-bodied, eight- limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda (, ). The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids, cuttle ...

and

squid True squid are molluscs with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight arms, and two tentacles in the superorder Decapodiformes, though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also called squid despite not strictly fitting t ...

that play a role in sexual development and

senescence Senescence () or biological aging is the gradual deterioration of functional characteristics in living organisms. The word ''senescence'' can refer to either cellular senescence or to senescence of the whole organism. Organismal senescence inv ...

. They lie between the

brain A brain is an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It is located in the head, usually close to the sensory organs for senses such as vision. It is the most complex organ in a v ...

and optic lobes. The optic gland in female octopuses is associated with their maternal behavior of guarding their eggs without feeding. This self-starvation results in the death of the female octopus before her eggs have hatched. In captivity, some starving females also self-mutilate and entangle their arms in an apparent effort to die even faster.

Removal

Removal of the gland causes the octopus to abandon their eggs and return to feeding. The female octopus then eats further, doubles its weight and doubles its lifespan.

References

Cephalopod zootomy {{anatomy-stub