[Octopus]: Autophagy while transportation

[tonmo]

you know you're doing something right when your octo builds its den!

 

[DanGz]

A lot has passed since my last post on Tulu. This entry is going to be a sad one, though. Tulu passed away three days ago. I'm going to describe his last weeks so maybe it can be useful for someone who reads this.

About a month ago, he started to change his behavior. Previously, he wasn't very social, always hanging out in the same spots during the day and retreating to his cave around 9 pm. He wasn't very curious about me, usually just observing from a distance without much interest in interaction. But then he changed. He began spending more time swimming and sticking to the tank glass. He became more tolerant of my presence, but he started eating less and less. He only nibbled on what I offered, and he stopped hunting the amphipode population in the tank. I continued with my weekly water changes, and all the water parameters remained fine. Despite my efforts, he didn't grow much in size since I got him.

Two days before he passed away, I noticed that he was behaving strangely, walking differently and not using one of his tentacles properly. I knew something was wrong. I offered him food, but he refused to eat. He spent the entire day exploring, sticking to the glass and swimming around, avoiding his cave. He didn't sleep in his cave that night. On his last day, Tulu was surprisingly active, swimming and moving around, but his movements were uncoordinated, and the tips of his tentacles were curled up. I knew he wouldn't last much longer. On this day, his skin also changed rapidly, as if he were aging at an accelerated rate. He lost all his bright colors and vitality. The next morning, I found him lifeless, curled up into a ball. He was very small, and it was heart-wrenching to see him like that.

Although we didn't form a strong bond or interact much, unlike with my previous octopuses, his passing still deeply affected me. He wasn't shy, just not particularly interested in me. But it hurt terribly nonetheless. This stage of caring for an octopus is the most difficult. I carefully removed him from the tank, and I was surprised to see that his skin still showed signs of life, with little bumps pulsating. He wasn't breathing and was clearly death. I buried him in a flower pot near a beetroot plant that I cherish.

 

[DanGz]

I was thinking a lot on what could have caussed Tulu's steep decline in health, I think he was an adult dwarf when I got him, But he was so small, his mantle barely reached an inch. I have 2 turbo snails in the tank (he ate other 2 but didn't like them I guess) and they are fine, parameters right and amphypodes and coraline algae growing all around.

 

[tonmo]

I'm sorry to hear this, @DanGz, and I can understand the feelings you're describing. "About a month ago" I guess would have been September, so it sounds like you had him for maybe 3 months... As @sedna had said, O. hummelincki don't grow very large... and the behavior sounds like it might be classic senescence. Maybe it wasn't juvenile after all?

 

[DanGz]

I'm sorry to hear this, @DanGz, and I can understand the feelings you're describing. "About a month ago" I guess would have been September, so it sounds like you had him for maybe 3 months... As @sedna had said, O. hummelincki don't grow very large... and the behavior sounds like it might be classic senescence. Maybe it wasn't juvenile after all?

Thanks... I had another Hummelincki before him, and he grew much larger; his mantle was over 3 inches. I read in an article some time ago that Hummelincki can vary greatly in size. Yes, it was only 3 and a half months. It's so sad to see them deteriorate like this. It's very interesting to get to know a new octopus and observe their unique personalities, but the end is always very painful.

 

[Hahmlet]

A lot has passed since my last post on Tulu. This entry is going to be a sad one, though. Tulu passed away three days ago. I'm going to describe his last weeks so maybe it can be useful for someone who reads this.

About a month ago, he started to change his behavior. Previously, he wasn't very social, always hanging out in the same spots during the day and retreating to his cave around 9 pm. He wasn't very curious about me, usually just observing from a distance without much interest in interaction. But then he changed. He began spending more time swimming and sticking to the tank glass. He became more tolerant of my presence, but he started eating less and less. He only nibbled on what I offered, and he stopped hunting the amphipode population in the tank. I continued with my weekly water changes, and all the water parameters remained fine. Despite my efforts, he didn't grow much in size since I got him.

Two days before he passed away, I noticed that he was behaving strangely, walking differently and not using one of his tentacles properly. I knew something was wrong. I offered him food, but he refused to eat. He spent the entire day exploring, sticking to the glass and swimming around, avoiding his cave. He didn't sleep in his cave that night. On his last day, Tulu was surprisingly active, swimming and moving around, but his movements were uncoordinated, and the tips of his tentacles were curled up. I knew he wouldn't last much longer. On this day, his skin also changed rapidly, as if he were aging at an accelerated rate. He lost all his bright colors and vitality. The next morning, I found him lifeless, curled up into a ball. He was very small, and it was heart-wrenching to see him like that.

Although we didn't form a strong bond or interact much, unlike with my previous octopuses, his passing still deeply affected me. He wasn't shy, just not particularly interested in me. But it hurt terribly nonetheless. This stage of caring for an octopus is the most difficult. I carefully removed him from the tank, and I was surprised to see that his skin still showed signs of life, with little bumps pulsating. He wasn't breathing and was clearly death. I buried him in a flower pot near a beetroot plant that I cherish.

Very sad to hear. This sounds exactly like what my old octopus went through. Reading this, it's a relief for me to at least know that it had lived a full life and passed away.

1) Hanging out more on the glass rather than sitting in its cave.
2) Eating less and only nibbling on food.
3) Bad coordination when moving.
4) Curled tentacle tips.
5) Pale skin.
6) And I'd like to add on one that I noticed, which was, noticeably harder breathing.

 

[sedna]

Very sad to hear. This sounds exactly like what my old octopus went through. Reading this, it's a relief for me to at least know that it had lived a full life and passed away.

1) Hanging out more on the glass rather than sitting in its cave.
2) Eating less and only nibbling on food.
3) Bad coordination when moving.
4) Curled tentacle tips.
5) Pale skin.
6) And I'd like to add on one that I noticed, which was, noticeably harder breathing.

I was thinking a lot on what could have caussed Tulu's steep decline in health, I think he was an adult dwarf when I got him, But he was so small, his mantle barely reached an inch. I have 2 turbo snails in the tank (he ate other 2 but didn't like them I guess) and they are fine, parameters right and amphypodes and coraline algae growing all around.

From what you described, those are normal signs of senescence. So sorry for your loss, it never gets easier!