Page 16 - IAV Digital Magazine #627

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Beloved California Octopus Showered With Love And Farewells As She Spends Final Days Caring For Eggs
By Kayla McLean · CBC Radio
Ghost the giant Pacific octopus has been a viral sensation since her arrival at the Aquarium of the Pacific in California last summer.
But these days she leads a
quieter life — albeit, show- ered by farewell wishes and love from adoring fans.
Ghost is dying. The octo- pus is in her final phase of life, known as senescence, caring for the eggs she laid just last week. The average lifespan for this octopus is about three to five years.
"We removed her from her habitat," Nate Jaros, the aquarium's animal care vice-president told As It Happens host Nil Köksal. "She went to a special holding area that we have behind her exhibit where she gets more peace and quiet for this phase of her life."
Jaros says most octopuses only live between one and three months after that phase begins.
"Octopuses only reproduce once," Jaros said. "[The females] spend the remain- der of their lives, caring for the eggs and ensuring that they have the best chance of hatching and best chance at survival."
During this period, an octo- pus may neglect their own basic needs such as eat- ing, in favour of protecting her eggs and aerating them to fight off the growth of bacteria or other harmful agents. But Jaros says the octopus doesn't provide any maternal care after they hatch.
"It's pretty wild. They have up to 100,000 eggs, which is incredible," he said. "Only about one per cent or less of those hatchlings will actually survive."
Ghost's eggs are unfertil- ized, however, and will never hatch.
Out in the waters of British Columbia, where Ghost is from, giant Pacific octopus- es live alone and only come together to repro- duce. Jaros says the male and female octopuses don't naturally cohabitate; they don't get along.
"They're at high risk of aggression or even poten- tially death," he said.
Despite her solitary tenden- cies, Ghost is not without friends — at least of the mammal kind. When she arrived at the aquarium in May 2024, the then-tiny, three-pound cephalopod quickly captured the hearts of her handlers for her "spunky" and "outgoing" character, Jaros says
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