Family keeps octopus as pet – then a baby is born

pet

by tracy swartz

An Oklahoma family became aware of this new reality after acquiring an octopus to raise as a pet, but only produced a small number of chicks.

“It may not be obvious yet, but octopuses are not common pets,” Oklahoma City resident Cameron Clifford, an Octodad, posted on TikTok last week. “In fact, octopuses are far from common in Oklahoma.”

So far, Clifford acquired an adult female California two-spot octopus for her eldest son late last year. Terence laid about 50 eggs in December and they recently started hatching. The Clifford family chronicles this unusual October currency on her TikTok @doctoktopus page.

A post from March that read, “Let's surprise my son with an aquarium to fulfill his lifelong dream of owning a pet octopus,” caught the attention of TikTok, racking up 3.6 million views.

The octopus arrived in a clear plastic bag filled with water, stuffed with Styrofoam, and placed in a brown cardboard box. Although her family had a difficult time building a home for Terence, they enjoyed watching her quickly adjust to her new aquarium.

“Despite all the serious planning, consultation, and forethought, we were in for a surprise (including her size!) when we received Terence,” Clifford wrote last month. “We do not take this responsibility lightly, they are very complex and intelligent creatures. We love Terry.”

Two months after welcoming Terence, she laid eggs, indicating that her life was nearing its end.

The natural lifespan of Octopus bimacroides, or “Bimac” for short, is 12 to 18 months. After the female lays eggs, she stops eating while watching over her offspring. She eventually weakens and dies.

In a March 26 update, the Cliffords said they were told “he would die within four to eight weeks.”

Instead, to everyone's surprise, she flourished and so did her descendants.

“We have always been in constant contact with bimack experts, one of whom has taken care of dozens of bimack over the years, and the one who has produced fertile eggs is There was not a single person,” the family explained in a video from early last week.

“Educational research facilities are also having trouble hatching them in captivity, but this happened 3 feet from my son's bed in central Oklahoma,” the post continued.

So the Clifford family welcomed Pearl, Melinda, J.C., C. Yonce, and Rocket Larry as members.

Clifford said he knows of only one other octopus in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Aquarium is home to a giant Pacific octopus, and finding a caretaker for it has been difficult.

He said he contacted every aquarium, biology department and pet store within a 100-mile radius, but all politely declined to keep the baby Bimac.

In a post on Sunday, the family revealed that the newly hatched chicks are staying with a local reptile scientist, affectionately known as Dr. Tim.

Terrence is sticking with them and is still hand feeding them for now.

The Clifford family faces eight other challenges. They revealed that the water filter installed for Terrence had been leaking for months, “and now our house is falling apart.”

They are also preparing to raise the remaining hatchlings and are pleading with aquariums to contact them. He founded Venmo to help pay for their octopus treatment.

“If you're still thinking about getting an octopus at this point, you might want to get Ratel first and see how it goes,” the family joked to their 362,200 TikTok followers.

The newspaper has contacted the Cliffords for comment.