Octopus begin life when they hatch from their eggs. At that point, they are considered larvae and they waste no time swimming to the water's surface where they enter clouds of plankton. Their, they eat other plankton and because their bodies are extremely efficient at creating body mass, they grow very rapidly. Eventually, it will mature. Male octopus modify their arm so they develop a hectocotylus which is an organ used to fertilize eggs. At this point, adult octopus will wish to mate. A male octopus can expect competition because there are almost twice as many males then females. Male octopus may flash colors that warn any approaching male octopus to stay away. If the approaching male ignores the warning then they might wrestle with each other until one of them retreats. Octopus then mate by either placing his hectocotylus into the female or, giving her one of his arms that contain sperm. After mating, the male octopus dies in a few months. The female octopus however, nurtures the thousands of eggs she created by cleaning and blowing water on them. She does not hunt for food and will protect her eggs with her life. Once they hatch, she also dies and the newborns are on their own. Very few of her offsprings will survive.