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Senility

Hayek

GPO
Registered
Joined
Mar 9, 2009
Messages
130
I believe my octopus is going senile. He hasn't eaten anything in about 5 days nor has he come out to explore. He is rejecting shrimp, and he doesn't seem to move with the grace he once had. He moves from den to den, but that is about it. Water quality is great.

I think it is probably his time to go, I've had him for more than 7 months, and he is full grown. He is a male briareus.

What signs have you seen that suggest an octopus is going senile? How long might be have left?
 
In addition to the grey look that Roy mentions, I have also seen a the siphon appear very straight at the tip (normally it will curve in a bit) as if the elasticity has gone and a bloated look like a person retaining water when the circulatory system is not up to par. Often you will see kaotic wandering the day or so before the end.
 
My octopus finally died this morning.

Thanks for the input Roy and D. He didn't seem to get much paler, but his eyes looked to be deteriorating a bit. He certainly had trouble recognizing me during his last week.
 
I forgot to add blindness to the observed symptoms of aging. We have consistently seen this in briareus but not had discussions on the observation in other species. The inability to see has, as with this one, not been an immediate sign of impending death and most have lived for several weeks beyond the point where we know they don't see.
 

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