She’s rather pretty…

think of a tentacled, sucker adorned orchid maybe. Anyhoo… she did this a few days ago, at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium…

[T]he guest of honor in the aquarium’s Kids’ Corner octopus tank had swum to the top of the enclosure and disassembled the recycling system’s valve, flooding the place with some 200 gallons of seawater.

“It had grabbed the tube that pulls out the water and caused it to spray outside the tank,” said aquarium education specialist Nick Fash. Judging by the size of the flood, Fash estimated that the water flowed for about 10 hours before the first staff member, Aaron Kind, showed up for work.

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The tiny octopus, which is about the size of a human forearm when its appendages are extended, floated lazily in the water that remained in its tank.

It watched intently through glass walls and portholes as workers struggled to dry the place out in time for the day’s first busload of schoolchildren to arrive on a 9:30 a.m. field trip.

hmmm.  The Chicago Trib had some additional bits, about an earlier incident… Octavia the octopus…

The incident was reminiscent of a 1994 incident at San Pedro’s Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in which an octopus named Octavia pulled a plastic pipe loose.

That giant Pacific octopus died when all of the water in her tank drained out.

Since octopuses are considered by many to be the most intelligent invertebrate — and to have good memories — Fash said he jury-rigged his octopus tank piping with clamps and tape in hopes of thwarting any further mischief by its occupant. “She would need tools,” he said of his octopus, which until now had no name.

“Some people are suggesting we call her ‘Flo,’ ” he said.

It reminded me of a very inventive octopus, Otto, in a German aquarium..  (I loved his sense of selfish chaos and posted on Nov 4 about him… he appeared more fun than some choices lying around):

I had assumed this got widespread coverage end of last week, but I am gathering it did not… There is an absence of good photos of Otto which may be one reason.  Or, perhaps, that juggling of the crabs in his tank is just too revealing a metaphor.

The short-circuit had baffled electricians as well as staff at the Sea Star Aquarium in Coburg, Germany, who decided to take shifts sleeping on the floor to find out what caused the mysterious blackouts.

A spokesman said: “It was a serious matter because it shorted the electricity supply to the whole aquarium that threatened the lives of the other animals when water pumps ceased to work.

“It was on the third night that we found out that the octopus Otto was responsible for the chaos.

“We knew that he was bored as the aquarium is closed for winter, and at two feet, seven inches Otto had discovered he was big enough to swing onto the edge of his tank and shoot out the 2000 Watt spot light above him with a carefully directed jet of water.”

I’d vote for Otto, just to endorse his wanton and selfish chaos theory:

“Once we saw him juggling the hermit crabs in his tank, another time he threw stones against the glass damaging it. And from time to time he completely re-arranges his tank to make it suit his own taste better – much to the distress of his fellow tank inhabitants.”

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Obviously I know nothing about the care and keeping of octopussi-usses… but I can imagine the Santa Monica captive got really bored… check out her living arrangements.  Looks like 6 washers, stacked three by three… unless those are just viewing windows, and the inhabitants get the full range inside….

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