Funny Stories: Laugh at the Curious Case of the Curious Octopus

What do you get when you put 8 arms + curiosity + nobody is around? Answer: 200 gallons of seawater. Employees entering the Santa Monica Aquarium Thursday morning were greeted by seawater waves lapping around various displays and also their offices. A lazy, tiny octopus floated in a nearby tank. It was nearly empty of water. She stared at them as they cleaned up the mess. She had swum to the top of her enclosure and disassembled a water control valve. This caused a spray of water outside of the tank and flooded the aquarium with 2 inches of water. A curious octopus indeed.

The aquarium education specialist estimated the water flowed for 10 hours before anyone found it. Her tank has now been fortified with tape and clamps. They believe she needs tools if she wants to repeat this performance. Only time will tell. She is known by the visitors to the aquarium to be a gregarious and curious octopus. The aquarium has received suggestions to name the California two-spotted octopus, Flo. Although, right now, many are calling her The Trickster. Click here for a CNN Video interview with the Aquarium Manager and see the docile Flo.

Funny Stories: The Curious Case of Octavia and Violet

The octopus is considered the most intelligent invertebrate there is. They also appear to have a good memory. Tales abound of their achievements in aquariums. In 1994, an octopus named Octavia drained her tank when she pulled a plastic pipe loose at her aquarium. The Internet is full of videos showing their tricks. An octopus named Violet opens a jar on YouTube. By watching the video, it becomes apparent that an octopus is easily trained.

Funny Stories: The Curious Case of the Curious Octopus or was it Loneliness?

The author knows the staff in an aquarium in Florida. They have shared a story about an octopus in their care. The staff entered early one morning to find the octopus tank empty. As they looked around, they found the octopus in another tank with fish. They already knew this octopus was extremely intelligent because they had to keep toys in her tank. And, they had to change those toys daily or she got bored.

As they assessed what might have taken place, they realized the octopus had climbed to the top of her tank through a tiny pipe. She then moved the lid and climbed out. She somehow made it to the floor where she must have slithered to the target tank. Then she climbed up, opened their lid and jumped in. Apparently, this is one gal that doesn't like to be alone. She must have stared at that fish tank over a period of time until she could stand it no longer. It didn't seem to be a case of curiosity as much as one of loneliness. She is a very social creature for a species known to hide out.

Funny Stories: The Curious Case of the Curious Octopuses

It seems there is an octopus in New Zealand that floats to the top of her tank and squirts her handler with water. Another story is of an octopus that waits for the keeper by attaching to the front glass wall of her aquarium until the keeper shows up. And there is another story about an octopus that was given a shrimp that wasn't fresh. She stuffed it down the drain while keeping eye contact with her handler. Click here to view an octopus escaping through a 1 inch hole. So the next time you visit an aquarium, be sure to visit the octopus tank. It seems quite a personality awaits there to greet you.

Sources:
Author's own experience
http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/living/2009/02/27/octopus.floods.aquarium.kcal.html
http://www.tonmo.com/cephcare/jspfk.php
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/12/061212-octopus-video.html