A remarkable video showing the birth of an octopus at the Virginia Aquarium has been viewed more than 1 million times on social media.

The clip shows a baby Caribbean reef octopus wriggling out of a flowerlike section of eggs. Almost immediately, the colorless creature's cells fire pigment, giving it a brownish hue. It waves its tiny arms and shoots off into the water.

Aquarium spokesman Matthew Klepeisz says their researchers have theorized that the swift pigment flow is either due to the stress of being born or an instinct to camouflage fast.

The in Virginia Beach posted the 10-second video on its Facebook page Wednesday and it had been viewed 1.5 million times by Friday afternoon.

Klepeisz says the aquarium is "thrilled" with the response to the video.


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