TikTok Family's New Octopus Had A Big Surprise For Them!
When Cameron Clifford bought his son an octopus as a pet, he had no idea what adventures they were in for.
Sharing their exciting journey on TikTok, the family now has more than 380,000 followers invested in every plot twist this adventure has seen so far.
One Family Pet Turned Into Many In The Blink Of An Eye!
A few weeks ago, Clifford shared a video titled, "How to Buy an Octopus 101" that shared information about how his family came to acquire their new exotic pet.
"We chose a California Two-Spot octopus," the video explained. "AKA, the bimac."
They explained that the tank must be "escape-proof" and that they need "lots of live food" for their new friend.
A follow-up video explained that their new buddy, Terrance, had arrived.
"When bimacs enter a new tank, they're shy and typically hide for a few days," they explained. "Not Terrance! He moved around the tank for hours, watching and probably judging us."
See the full video here.
A Few Videos Later, Terrance Started To Act Strange
Not long after introducing Terrance to TikTok, the family noticed that their new buddy was starting to act strange.
"Terrance had been acting strange. She hadn't left her cave in a few days," they explained in the video. "So we got her some new friends to brighten her up. And then we noticed...Terrance laid her eggs."
That's when a sad realization set in for the family.
"She will die soon," the video concludes.
One viewer commented, "It’s like Charlotte’s Web, but with Terrance." Another person added, "Noooooo this can’t be how it ends. It’s been so awesome watching your journey!"
But this isn't how it ends...
Another Video Explains Just What's Going On
Another video shares more of the story of what's going on with Terrance.
"We had been with Terrance approximately two months prior to her laying eggs. This signals the end of the female bimac's lifespan," the video explained. "Whether or not the female mates, she will lay approximately 40 to 70 eggs. Fertilized or not, she will constantly protect them, ignoring the need to eat, and take care of herself."
While Terrance is still interacting with the family, she's not leaving the eggs alone for a minute. Nothing can get her out of the cave.
"After analyzing the timeline of her laying, as well as observing that the eggs remain clear, we came to the conclusion that they could not be fertilized, which our expert contacts confirmed," they said. "Terrance is essentially going to spend the rest of her life protecting empty eggs."
They explained that "one silver lining" is that she is accepting to be hand-fed. But even while hand-feeding her, the family was told that she would likely die within four to eight weeks.
A Plot Twist!
Another follow-up video shares that two months after Terrance laid her eggs, the family was preparing for the day they would have to say their final goodbyes.
Then, something miraculous happened. One night while cleaning the tank, one of the eggs became detached from the den. Two microscopic black dots were seen while examining the egg under the light.
"Before I could internalize what I was seeing, the egg deflated, and a large, clear droplet burst from the top," the video shared. "The droplet then spread out eight tiny tentacles."
A baby octopus!
"TERRANCE’S LEGACY LIVESSS!" one follower wrote in the comment section. Another said, "THIS IS A FREAKING MIRACLE."
And There Are Many Other New Babies Now!
There's not only one baby now. Many other eggs have hatched.
The family is getting assistance from a friend to care for all the new babies. And so far, Terrance is also doing well, although the family knows that bimacs don't live too long after laying eggs.
A recently shared video explains more about baby bimacs.
"Baby bimacs are exponentially more sensitive to water parameters than adults, especially temperature. Because of this, transporting them this size is extremely risky, basically a death sentence," they explained. "So it's up to us to take care of them."
Each of the babies is currently in its own "tiny octopus home," and the family has a big job ahead of them.
"Between catching the escapees, changing the water, adding more shrimp, and returning all the babies to the tank and caring for the mom, it would require two to three hours every day," they said. "After one full week since Pearl [the first baby] hatched, we had somehow managed to catch, house, and feed a total of exactly 50 hatchlings."
See the full video here.
You can keep up with the adventures of Terrance and her many babies on TikTok.
