Aquarium of the Pacific’s playful and inquisitive octopus, Ghost, dies

Ghost, the pinkish Pacific octopus that inspired wonder for dategoers, parents and children across Southern California, has died at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Aquarium officials said that Ghost died of senescence, a natural end-of-life process for female octopuses that started after she laid eggs last fall. Staff say the eggs are unfertilized and will not hatch, even if they try to relocate them.

No arrangements have been announced as staff at the Long Beach aquarium decide how to memorialize her.

Originating from the waters of British Columbia, Canada, Ghost first came to the aquarium in May 2024 at a weight of about three pounds.

Ghost the Pacific octopus at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

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Photo courtesy of the Aquarium of the Pacific.

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By her time of death, the eight-armed Pacific octopus weighed more than 50 pounds. Unsure of her age, officials guess she was between 2 and 4 years old.

Experts say these octopuses have up to a five-year lifespan, largely in isolation and only seek companionship for reproduction. Afterward, males die while females slowly die over the course of months as they protect their laid eggs from contamination.

Considered the smartest of the non-vertebrates, octopuses are curious creatures that have keen eyesight and plenty of creativity.

Ghost was no exception. Staff said she was known for being “super active,” known to love toys and puzzles specifically made for her. She learned to lift herself into weighing baskets and often took time during feeding to play with her caretakers.

Her final days were spent in delicate care, aquarium officials say, eating quality food and enjoying company with staff to ease her slow decline.

“We are going to miss her,” said Nate Jaros, Aquarium of the Pacific’s vice president of animal care. “Ghost left a big impression on us and on so many people, even those beyond our Aquarium.”

Officials received a new octopus in the fall that, they hope, will carry on the spirit of its predecessor.