FAQ
A contribution of The Cephalopod Page
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Sir, if an octopus only lives one or two years then how do some become so large? This must be true in only certain members of the species. If so how can I get or find an octopus that will live longer than two years? I have a bad habit of becoming attached to every living thing around me and I take the death of even a seemingly useless species of any kind personal no matter how small. I am a paraplegic and have lived alone for almost twenty years. Of these years the hours (days) spend watching different species of all kinds of animals and raising everything from catfish to Military Macaws have been my best hours, the ones I cherish. I know I am rambling and apologize, to the point. How can I determine the member of the octopus family tree I have, and where, or can I get an octopus that will live longer than a year or two? My friend is of undetermined age but is very friendly. Will actually come out and take food from my hand and return to the tank. He will come out of his home anytime I tap on the glass and greet me like a friend. He also loves to be fondled gently while in the tank. I have become very attached to him in a short time because of these very character traits. I will hate to see him go, but will invest in another if I can find one that lives longer than one or two years. Thank you for your time and a reply would be greatly appreciated.
James 'Bo' Sumner bsumner@concentric.net |
| Answer: |
| Hi Bo,
You are correct, lifespan does depend on species - the species that are larger as adults tend to live longer. Temperature also affects lifespan - octopuses at colder temps tend to live longer. For instance, the giant octopus, O. dofleini is thought to live for 3-5 years at temps of 10 C or so. The giant octopus isn't something that you could pickup in an aquarium store though - they are big and one would need a chiller to keep the water cool enough. The deep-sea octopuses that I study, Bathypolypus arcticus, although small, are thought to live for three years. Besides not being available at pet stores, they live in water that is around 4 C and are not very active/exciting like tropical species. I'm afraid that most octopuses which are small enough for the average aquarist and don't require a chiller to keep only live for a year or two at best. The general pattern is that octopuses grow fast, reproduce, females brood their eggs, and then they die. This 'semelparous' strategy is hard for us mammals to make sense of. Perhaps a good octopus taxonomist could identify your octopus without knowing where it was from... (I'm not such a person, I'm a life history, culture and behavior person) There is a species that reproduces more than once, O. chierchiae, which is found near Panama. I would guess that this species lives long for its size (it is small and no one has looked at the lifespan of this species - it still probably live less than two years). I don't know of a way to get specimens (or I'd have some on order) other than going there and catching them (not practical for either one of us). You can lower the temperature a few degrees in you octoarium (not too much) to prolong his life but other than that there isn't much else one can do... and they are such interesting creatures. Feeding often, long day length, and higher light intensity may also prolong life span slightly. I'm not sure if manipulating the last three variables is really worth it though. Cuttlefish, which also can be kept by aquarists, have similarly short life spans. Nautilus live much longer but aren't nearly as intelligent/responsive as octopuses. Plus you would still need a chiller. Peace, Dr. James Wood |