HiHo Octoids,
The normal life span for a given species of octopus is more or less
hard wired into its genome - Hatch, grow, mature, breed, & die - all
to be accomplished in a fairly fixed period of time. Click on "Species
Search" at
http://www.cephbase.utmb.edu/ and you can find info on the
natural lifespans of many of the better understood species. BTW: As I
write this Cephbase isn't working. Apparently they've been having off
and on problems for several weeks now. If you can't make it work, just
try again in a day or two.
There just isn't any evidence to suggest that a properly housed and
cared for octo won't live just as long and happy a life as one would
in the wild. OTOH: Virtually all hobbiest raised octos are raised by
themselves which is perfectly OK for most of the animal's life but may
be problematic for one of breeding age. I've never heard of any
'strange' behavior from an octopus that has been deprived of the
opportunity to breed; but then again, there are lots of things I
haven't heard of!
The thing that makes octos different from just about any other
aquarium pet is their intelligence. I've mentioned in earlier posts
that the marine center at which I volunteer keeps a GPO for the 4
months of our 'season'. The thing that stands out is the individuality
that makes each one unique but also causes some to be difficult or
almost impossible to keep. When we get a GPO that doesn't eat A LOT,
constantly tries to escape, or displays 'wrong' colors such as white
or gray we return it to the wild. Past experience has shown that such
an individual will eventually manage to escape or starve itself.
Fortunately, we're located on a pier that juts into some absolutely
primo GPO habitat so releasing isn't a problem. BTW: Even if it's been
a happy camper we always release the animal at the end of our season
which is normally the last weekend of September.
The bottom line is that an octopus is born with a maximum life
expectancy of X days. That expectancy is the same regardless of
whether the animal is in the wild or in an aquarium. OTOH: Because of
the lack of predators an octo in an aquarium is far more likely to
reach its maximum age than is the same species in the wild.
The key, as Jean and others have pointed out, is to KNOW what you're
getting and what its needs are. If your supplier can't give you Genus
& species for the animal he's trying to sell you then you've really
got no business encouraging his business practices. If you've got
Genus & species then it's almost trivial to amass more data than you
can use for the proper keeping of the octo in question.
Agedly yours,
Alex