Octopuses in Captivity

DaLilFishie

DaLilFishie

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
Compiled list of all octopuses I could find that are kept in captivity. If there are any I missed that are kept let me know.

- Common Octopus
- Sydney/Gloomy Octopus
- Giant Pacific Octopus
- Hapalochlaena fasciata
- Hapalochlaena lunulata
- Hawaiian Day Octopus
- Flapjack Octopus (Opisthoteuthis depressa I believe)
- Opisthoteuthis adorabilis
- Midwater Octopus
- Octopus tenuicirrus
- Benthoctopus fuscus
- Benthoctopus violescens
- California Two-Spot Octopus
- Octopus kagoshimensis
- Small-Spot Octopus
- Korean Common Octopus
- Webfoot Octopus
- White-Striped Octopus
- Wunderpus
- Atlantic Pygmy Octopus
- Pacific Red Octopus
- Maori Octopus
- North Pacific Bigeye Octopus
- Lesser Octopus
 
I think this is one of those groups where a lot of species have been kept short term for research or imported for the aquarium trade but never gone on public display and/or maintained long term. For example I know that the mimic octopus ( Thaumoctopus mimicus) has been kept in captivity and has even been seen in UK aquatic stores (but not by me!) but I don't know whether any have ever gone on display in a public aquarium
 
The problem with cephalopds in general is that they have such short lifespans. In addition most octopus species are cryptically coloured and prefer to remain hidden. In practice, a long term display would need a steady supply of wild caught specimens or an on-going breeding programme. This is being done for several species of cuttlefishes, which have the advantage of frequently swimming freely and generally being much more active than an octopus.
Does anyone know of a successful long term breeding programme for an octopus species or indeed for a squid species?
 
gentle lemur said:
The problem with cephalopds in general is that they have such short lifespans. In addition most octopus species are cryptically coloured and prefer to remain hidden. In practice, a long term display would need a steady supply of wild caught specimens or an on-going breeding programme. This is being done for several species of cuttlefishes, which have the advantage of frequently swimming freely and generally being much more active than an octopus.
Does anyone know of a successful long term breeding programme for an octopus species or indeed for a squid species?
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Actually, most major aquaria culture their own cephalopods on an ongoing basis for the reasons you described; they live so little time, the facilities must constantly replenish their “stock,” as it were. I know Monterey Bay, Shedd, and New England all produce new generations for several species almost year-round behind the scenes.
 
imaginarius said:
Actually, most major aquaria culture their own cephalopods on an ongoing basis for the reasons you described; they live so little time, the facilities must constantly replenish their “stock,” as it were. I know Monterey Bay, Shedd, and New England all produce new generations for several species almost year-round behind the scenes.
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I know a little about the cuttlefishes. Are squid and octopus species also bred regularly? If so, do you know which species?
 
gentle lemur said:
I know a little about the cuttlefishes. Are squid and octopus species also bred regularly? If so, do you know which species?
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Giant pacific octopuses, for sure. I believe MBARI (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, the research-oriented sister of the aquarium) cultures chambered nautiluses and bigfin reef squid, as well. They call it “mariculture” which I think is one of the best words ever.
 
SeaWorld Ancol in Indonesia used to keep a Day Octopus (Octopus cyanea) named Mamat from 2003 until 2010. Mamat died of old age and it's replaced by a Giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) named Gudel, who lived there from 2010 to 2014. Gudel died when SeaWorld Ancol closed temporarily due to a land conflict.

When SeaWorld Ancol reopened in 2015, they brought in a new one in 2017. This unnamed Giant Pacific Octopus died in 2020 when SeaWorld Ancol closed during the pandemic. When it reopened on June, its exhibit is now home to a small school of Indian Threadfish (Alectis indica). This fish also took the Octopus' exhibit when it was still vacant back in 2015-2016.
 
gentle lemur said:
I know a little about the cuttlefishes. Are squid and octopus species also bred regularly? If so, do you know which species?
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Most octopus and squid species have a free swimming planktonic paralarvae stage, as with most marine animals that larval stage is very complex to rear in captivity and I imagine this is the main hurdle in successfully breeding most species. The cuttlefish you mention and some octopus species produce eggs which undergo direct development so they hatch as miniatures of the adults and as such are easier to rear so these are the species which are more easily bred. On the whole many squid are pelagic their whole lives so won't do well in aquaria however I do know that the bigfin reef squid has been successfully kept and bred but I think it is unusual in that regard
 
Fargusno said:
SeaWorld Ancol in Indonesia used to keep a Day Octopus (Octopus cyanea) named Mamat from 2003 until 2010. Mamat died of old age and it's replaced by a Giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) named Gudel, who lived there from 2010 to 2014. Gudel died when SeaWorld Ancol closed temporarily due to a land conflict.

When SeaWorld Ancol reopened in 2015, they brought in a new one in 2017. This unnamed Giant Pacific Octopus died in 2020 when SeaWorld Ancol closed during the pandemic. When it reopened on June, its exhibit is now home to a small school of Indian Threadfish (Alectis indica). This fish also took the Octopus' exhibit when it was still vacant back in 2015-2016.
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7 years seems like a very long lifespan for an octopus especially a tropical species like Octopus cyanea. Are you sure it was the same individual all that time?
 
Sarus Crane said:
I'd love to see a big Dumbo Octopus in an aquarium!
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Same here, one of the species I've always most wanted to see. Unfortunately given the depths at which these animals live it would be a challenge getting one alive and well to the surface let alone keeping it in an aquarium.
 
Greenshank said:
Same here, one of the species I've always most wanted to see. Unfortunately given the depths at which these animals live it would be a challenge getting one alive and well to the surface let alone keeping it in an aquarium.
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Your best bet would be the new MBA deep-sea exhibit coming in 2023. They have hinted at Opisthoteuthis adorabilis, which is closely related to dumbos, so maybe they’ll have a few benthic octopodes. Fingers crossed
 
Mimic Octopus is missing from the list. Not sure if any zoos have them but they are around in the private trade.
 
I've pondered for a longer time whether to get Hapalochlaena sp. for WdG, but found it kind of unethical to buy a wild caught animal for the sake of showcasing it for a limited time and then immediately replacing it with the next specimen.
The larger Pacific striped octopus (LPSO) might be an interesting species to establish in captivity.
fb://photo/2446299072334431?set=a.1386436048320744

Greenshank said:
7 years seems like a very long lifespan for an octopus especially a tropical species like Octopus cyanea.
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That passage also made me wonder...
 
Greenshank said:
7 years seems like a very long lifespan for an octopus especially a tropical species like Octopus cyanea. Are you sure it was the same individual all that time?
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Yep. It was the same individual! On the same exhibit, there used to be a couple of Pharaoh cuttlefish as well. The cuttlefish died on 2008 due to unknown causes. Mamat was part of an exhibit that shows life in cavernous reefs, which also includes creatures such as Spiny lobsters (two species, versicolor and ornatus) Swimmer crabs (Portunus armatus and Charybdis feriata), Indian threadfish (Alectis indica) and Scrawled filefish (Aluterus scriptus).
 
There have been several studies on the lifespan of Octopus cyanea - maximum lifespan is approximately 1.5 years with most reaching less than one year of age (i.e. they grow extremely fast, breed, and then die).

Seven years is about five times the maximum lifespan of the species.
 
imaginarius said:
Actually, most major aquaria culture their own cephalopods on an ongoing basis for the reasons you described; they live so little time, the facilities must constantly replenish their “stock,” as it were. I know Monterey Bay, Shedd, and New England all produce new generations for several species almost year-round behind the scenes.
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If you are talking about octopuses here, then this statement is absolute nonsense. "Most" aquariums, major or otherwise, certainly do not culture octopuses. Female octopuses will lay eggs in tanks (having been fertilised prior to capture) but this is not "culturing them on an ongoing basis".

imaginarius said:
Giant pacific octopuses, for sure.
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Citation needed.
 
Chlidonias said:
If you are talking about octopuses here, then this statement is absolute nonsense. "Most" aquariums, major or otherwise, certainly do not culture octopuses. Female octopuses will lay eggs in tanks (having been fertilised prior to capture) but this is not "culturing them on an ongoing basis".


Citation needed.
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I listen to Monterey Bay Aquarium podcasts and gaming streams on Twitch on a regular basis. I’m just conveying information that one of their cephalopod handlers discussed when they had a segment focusing on octopuses and squid. Maybe that’s not true for other aquaria, but that is what the woman said is true for theirs.
 
Chlidonias said:
There have been several studies on the lifespan of Octopus cyanea - maximum lifespan is approximately 1.5 years with most reaching less than one year of age (i.e. they grow extremely fast, breed, and then die).

Seven years is about five times the maximum lifespan of the species.
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I'm assuming that SeaWorld Ancol may have bought different individuals and named them Mamat to trick the visitors
 
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