Terrance (octopus)

Terrance the octopus was a pet California two-spot octopus (Octopus bimaculoides, nickname: bimac), which became popular following the unusual hatchling of 50 baby octopuses in captivity. Cared for by the Clifford family, the whole process from setting up successive aquariums, purchasing the octopus, caring for it and its hatchlings is video-documented online through the social network Tiktok.

Life
Terrance was a California two-spot octopus (Octopus bimaculoides or "bimac"), a common pet octopus in the United States. Terrance's early life is not known, but its seller claimed to be a diver with a fishing license in California. Terrance was bough through the Octopus News Magazine Online. It arrived on October 11, 2023 after an overnight journey via UPS in a cardboard box, styrofoam insulation and plastic bag filled with air and seawater at the Cliffords Edmond, Oklahoma house, already a mature adult. Bimacs having an overall life expectancy of 12 to 18 months, Terrance life expectancy is therefore short.

Two months after their arrival and while though to be a male, in December 2023, Terrance laid about 50 eggs, a common behavior in the last live phase of female octopuses. Female octopi care for their eggs, even if eggs laid in captivity are generally unfertilized. Surprisingly, those eggs hatched in February 2024, with 50 hatchlings. Female octopi may delay laying and development of fertilized eggs when stressed until a more favorable situation is secured. It is believed Terrance mated before being caught and sold.

To ensure their survival, emergent hatchlings were separated and put into individual housing, in order to avoid natural occurring cannibalization.

Most hatchlings have been moved to an exotic pets room where they are fed live mysid shrimp daily and where a new 180-gallon tank being under preparation.

Care takers
Terrance is mainly cared for by the whole 4-people Clifford family from Edmond, Oklahoma since 11 October 2023. The oldest child in the family has had a resilient passion for marine life and octopuses since 2 or 3 years old. The octopus arrived for their 9th birthday and he named it Terrance. The Cliffords video-documented their earlier learning process, setting up stabilized aquariums ecosystems suitable for marine wild life, purchasing the octopus, caring for it and its hatchlings is online through the social network Tiktok, receiving more than 3 millions views.

Tim Tytle, 80, a former radiologist with experience with exotic pets such as geckos, sea horses, venomous lizards and octopuses has also been pivotal. An intern has been hired to look for potential long term adopters.

Following the hatching, the family researched related literatures, reached out to marine life experts and invested thousands US dollars on tanks, water filters, water chillers, live crabs, snails and clams and in expanding the infrastructures to support the octopuses.

Reception
Terrance hatchlings was covered by national news organisations such as The New York Times, AP, The Washington Post, NPR and others. The reception to Terrance and its hatchlings' captivity have been diverse. Commenters have been both enthusiastic and critical.

Paul Clarkson, director of husbandry operations at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, California, has praised the Cliffords for their dedication and care. He praised the event and efforts shown as raising awareness about sea life and octopuses. Both Clarkson and Jordan Baker at New England Aquarium in Boston nevertheless cautioned pet owners about the difficulty to care for an octopus, requiring full time dedication.

Barbara J. King, a former anthropologist and primatologist at the College of William & Mary who wrote on octopuses, opposes holding them in captivity.