WESTMINSTER, Colorado — The Butterfly Pavilion hosted a special event Monday to give an official name to its newest eight-armed, octopus friend.
During a Facebook Live, staff presented three names previously selected by the community for the new octopus to choose from. The names in the running were Ollie, Hank and Octomus Prime.
The octopus, after spending a few minutes being camera shy, chose a cup filled with food labeled Ollie – so Ollie the Octopus it is!
Butterfly Pavilion welcomed the new cephalopod (a group that includes octopuses and squid) to their Water’s Edge exhibit last month.
The cephalopod is a Hawaiian Day Octopus that came to Butterfly Pavilion from a colleague on the island of Oahu, according to zoo staff.
Day Octopus have a lifespan of 1-1 ½ years (from egg to death), the ability to grow up to 31 inches long, and weigh anywhere from 2 ½ to 14 ½ pounds.
"These octopuses are famous for the unique way they defend themselves in the wild – creating a thick cloud of ink that can obscure a predator’ view and allow the octopus to get away," the Butterfly Pavilion said in a news release. "They are also known for their intelligence and even collect shells to decorate their dens."
Butterfly Pavilion staff said the day octopus is found throughout the tropical Pacific Ocean from the eastern coast of Africa to Hawaii.
> Top stories curated daily just for you! Sign up for the 9NEWSLETTER to get can’t-miss stories, Next and Broncos content, weather and more delivered right to your inbox.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Animals and Wildlife
