Worker at an aquarium in Texas plays with a giant Pacific octopus called Octavius, rubbing her hands over its tentacles.
Jamie Shank at the San Antonio Aquarium, Executive Curator and Wildlife Manager at the San Antonio Aquarium in the southern US state of Texas, can be seen rubbing her hands on the octopus’ tentacles, with the intelligent sea creature apparently enjoying the experience.
In the footage, Shank can be heard saying: “If you’ve never hung out with an octopus before, this needs to be a bucket list item. These are absolutely amazing animals. This is Octavius, the giant Pacific octopus. And I’m playing with him. I’m rubbing my hand along his suction cups.
“There’s around 280 suction cups per arm. And these suction cups allow them to taste, grip and grab hold of things, which is pretty amazing!”
Shank told Newsflash that she shot the images at the San Antonio Aquarium, where she is an Executive Curator and Wildlife Manager, this summer, and that Octavius is a male giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) who is around two or three years old.
She said that Octavius had been at the San Antonio Aquarium for one year.
The giant Pacific octopus is the largest of the octopus species and can mainly be found in the Pacific Ocean, in Japanese waters, north-east Asian waters, Alaska and the West Coast of the United States.
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Story By: Joseph Golder, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
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