Ethics of keeping octopuses in captivity.
- Thread starter Ebirah766
- Start date
I don't think space is necessarily the limiting factor for Octopuses, as they are ambush hunters and not active hunters. What is more of a problem is often the lack of enrichment or structure in the tank to keep the Octopus from getting bored.... I think there are no real ethical problems in keeping Octopus and certainly no more than keeping other highly intelligent species like Parrots, Crows or Primates. I would have ethical problems eating them, but I am a vegetarian anyway....
Animal ethics (and adequate husbandry) should be considered for every animal species, not just for the ones we deem smart. Or should we treat smart people better than stupid ones?
Octopus husbandry is not easy: like all marine invertebrates they require very good water quality and they are renowned escapologists as they can change the shapes of their bodies at will to squeeze through narrow openings. They also require relatively large amounts of food and may only take live prey, such as crabs, when newly captured. So keeping an octopus requires quite a commitment, suitable tank furnishings including hiding places, bright and shady areas and water currents are relatively easy to provide, as is enrichment in the form of feeding puzzles etc. Ideally it would be desirable to maintain captive breeding populations, but this has proved to be difficult. There have been some successes with some species, but pairing animals is hazardous and raising the young is complicated. The short lifespans of cephalopods are another complication.
