Monster octopi with scores of extra tentacles
In nature, it is quite rare to encounter octopi with extra tentacles (or “arms,” for the purists), but a pair of aquariums in Japan’s Mie prefecture have some extraordinary specimens on hand.
The permanent display at the Shima Marineland Aquarium in the town of Shima includes a 96-tentacled Common Octopus (Octopus vulgaris) that weighed 3.3 kilograms (about 7 lbs) and measured 90 centimeters (3 ft) long when it was captured in nearby Matoya Bay in December 1998. Before dying 5 months later, the creature laid eggs, making it the first known extra-tentacled octopus to do so in captivity. All the baby octopi hatched with the normal number of tentacles, but unfortunately they only survived a month.
96-tentacled octopus laying eggs
The preserved octopus actually has the normal number of 8 appendages attached to its body, but each one branches out to form the multitude of extra tentacles. Apparently there is no theory that fully explains the surplus tentacles, but they are believed to be the result of abnormal regeneration that occurred after the octopus suffered some sort of injury.
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The Toba Aquarium in the nearby town of Toba also has a few extraordinary octopus specimens, although they no longer appear to be on permanent display. Every now and then, though, the aquarium pulls them out of storage for the world to see.
85-tentacled octopus at Toba Aquarium
Their most well-known specimen is an 85-tentacled Common Octopus captured in 1957 at nearby Toshijima island. This remarkable creature — which, like the Shima Marineland octopus, has 8 main arms that branch out to form scores of tentacles — made quite a stir when it first went on display at Toba Aquarium a half-century ago. A few years later, the specimen was loaned to the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo, where it famously caught the attention of the Showa Emperor.
The renowned creature eventually returned to Toba and went on permanent display until the aquarium moved to a new location in 1985, at which time it was placed in storage. Twenty years later, in 2005, the specimen entered the spotlight again when it was put on temporary display.
In the 50 years since the 85-tentacled octopus was captured, the Toba Aquarium has exhibited 6 other mutant octopi, most of them alive for a time, and each with between 9 and 56 tentacles.
[Related: Photo: Nine-tentacled octopus]
Nonagintasextapus at Japanese aquarium…
Shima Marineland Aquarium in Mie Prefecture features a display of a (preserved) 96-tentacled Common Octopus that weighed 3.3 kilograms and measured 90 centimeters (3 ft) long. It died five months after being captured in nearby Matoya Bay in 1998….
Those extra legs just BLEW MY MIND MAN! @.@
… I’m freaking out! *runs around*
[…] […]
[…] Link zu Pink Tentacle mit noch mehr Mutanten-Octopi Tags: Animals, Cthulhu, Monster, Mutants, Squids […]
Pulpos de más de ocho brazos (ING)…
La exposición permanente del acuario Marineland en la ciudad de Shima (Japón) incluye un Pulpo común con 96 tentáculos que pesaba 3,3 kilos y medía 90 cm. de largo cuando fue capturado en la cercana Bahía de Matoya en diciembre de 1998. Antes de …
[…] Mutant octopus [Shima Marineland Aquarium] : Pink Tentacle […]
Old Ones are returning…
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If it had 1,000 tentacles, it’d be a millipus! ;D
Are these multipuses proficient / fully dexterous with all the sub-tentacles on a primary tentacle or do they use the sub-tentacles in a bunch like they were one tentacle?
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[…] How many arms does a octopus have? Eight you say? Really? Are you sure? Well… what about this! […]
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Like Torley said, if they have more then 8 legs, it can’t be called an octopus.
[…] This 7 pound, 3 foot long specimen of Octopus Vulgaris has 96 cuddly arms. It was found in Japan in 1998 and is preserved and on permanent display at Shima Marineland Aquarium. The octopus has the normal number of arms attached to the body but each arm has others branching out from it. Scientist think this could be abnormal regeneration from an unknown injury. Source […]
[…] from Pink Tentacle is the awesome/freaky mutated x-man version of a monster Octopus that’s on permanent display […]
Transgenic of Japanese industry.
Im in yr oshunz, waving my xtra arms
[…] […]
[…] of a 50 cent piece and sometimes, sometimes, they come in crazy mutations like the one above, from Pink Tentacle: The preserved octopus actually has the normal number of 8 appendages attached to its body, but […]
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[…] 2008 at 11:54 am (disturbing…, frightening things, mollusks, non-human animals) Something about this octopus with 96 tentacles (via Boing Boing) makes me want to cry. It’s grotesque, upsetting. I had no idea I was […]
[…] that occurred after the octopus suffered some sort of injury. … - see the full article pinktentacle for another pic and […]
[…] a mess of tentacles Octopus + tons of tentacles = ridiculously awesome. Published […]
HEEBIE JEEBIE-INDUCING POST OF THE DAY: THE OCTOPUS WITH 96 TENTACLES
Too many tentacles
for one octopus
to be writhing
You re gonna writhe
writhe, writhe, writhe
ninety-six tentacles
[…] Octopus with 96 tentacles […]
Somebody call Bob Kline. “I want GOOD science - they found that the monkeys were good and crazy after smoking their WEIGHT in Marijuana each day, for 3 months.”
I’m gonna go check that out right now! *runs and grabs camera and money, heads for train station*
[…] These are just some really cool, giant octopi on display at various aquariums. Neat! [Link here.] […]
I have a picture for you!
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o56/cynthiavasconcellos/800px-Touched_by_His_Noodly_Appenda.jpg
[…] More… […]
Octo’s ink is pumpin the grind in dis fiendin fish
That is one freaky octopus - thanks for the pictures!
[…] If that doesn’t impress you, how about one with 96 tentacles? […]
[…] 1. Pink Tentacle’s article on mutant cephalopod […]
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[…] shenanigans, check out this crazy video of an octopus taking down a shark at The Other 95%, and the sideshow-worthy, 96-armed octopus at The Pink […]