The family who accidentally ended up with 50 baby octopuses after not realizing the pet they bought for their son was loaded with eggs have said the animal died.
Terrance the octopus went viral earlier this year after dad Cameron Clifford revealed the chaos that ensued after buying his son Cal an octopus for his birthday.
Clifford said her son had become obsessed with wanting an octopus and after years of begging for one, he finally managed to acquire a two-seater female from California.
To the families’ dismay, Terrance was loaded with fertile eggs that soon began to hatch, leaving them with another 50 baby octopuses.
In a post on their TikTok page dedicated to Terrence, who has more than 450,000 followers, the family revealed that she passed away on April 22.
Terrance the octopus, seen here, went viral earlier this year after father Cameron Clifford revealed the chaos that ensued after buying his son Cal an octopus for his birthday.
In a post on their TikTok page dedicated to Terrence, who has more than 450,000 followers, the family revealed that she passed away on April 22.
The touching post explained how they placed her in a box alongside objects that reminded them of her, before burying her under a group of trees.
“It was, understandably, a very sad day. After laying eggs, Terrance lived another astonishing 135 days.
‘Cal chose the name Terrance after a rebellious character in a book he had recently read. For many reasons, I always thought it was a strange name for an octopus.
‘I assumed it was irony, derived from the Latin word Terra, meaning land and earth. But the name Terrance in Latin actually means soft and smooth.
‘Life can be sad but still full of meaning and although this tank is now empty, this sleeping boy (Cal) just a meter away from him, now feels his soul a little fuller. So much joy from a not-so-small octopus.’
The family originally thought Terrence was actually a man, before she began releasing ‘a chandelier’ of tiny eggs two months after having her.
Experts told Clifford that the eggs were not fertilized and that the release of the eggs only signals the end of the female octopus’s life.
However, one night in February, Clifford picked up one of the eggs and was absolutely shocked.
Cameron Clifford and his wife bought the octopus from Terrance for their nine-year-old son Cal.
When the Clifford family first brought Terrance home, they prepared their house to house just one octopus.
The family was stunned when the eggs began to hatch. They rose to the occasion, purchased more tanks and supplies to care for them, and documented the trip.
He said USA Today: ‘I accidentally blew it up, and this blob comes out and extends these little tentacles and it’s three strokes from my point of view.’
Terrance the octopus ended up giving birth to a total of 50 babies, and “all bets were off,” he said.
The family had to organize 50 separate homes for the unexpected offspring, spending thousands of dollars on clams, crabs and snails, not to mention the costs of repairing damage to the house from spilled water and a small electrical fire.
“Don’t get a pet octopus unless you’re willing to lose sleep and your kids’ college fund simultaneously,” he added. joking.
Speaking of a sticky incident, Clifford said: “I wish I hadn’t opened that valve like that and dumped all that dirty seawater all over my kids’ white carpet.”
Meanwhile, the desperate father began calling aquariums and research centers and begging them to take the babies off his hands.
“It’s a lot of work,” he said. “A lot of work, emotion, money and time.”
‘I don’t know if we have been fully prepared for any of these challenges, but the hope is to rehouse as many as we can.
‘And those we can’t, we will find a way to keep them alive and be responsible. It’s not a really concrete plan, but so far we’re doing pretty well.’
The experience is overall joyful and rewarding, as he said: “It’s been an absolutely fun experience, not only for me, but for my children as well.”
This undated photo taken by Cameron Clifford shows Terrance, the pet octopus his son Cal adopted into his home in Edmond, Oklahoma.
They were stunned to discover that Terrance was actually female, and the fifty eggs she laid earlier this year began to hatch.
The family had to arrange 50 separate homes for the unexpected offspring, spending thousands of dollars on clams, crabs and snails, not to mention the costs of repairing damage to the house from spilled water and a small electrical fire.
When Clifford told his son they could order an octopus from a local aquarium store, the nine-year-old immediately burst into tears.
He said: “His last dream, his cloud nine, the biggest thing that could happen in one’s life, had become a possibility, and it just collapsed.”
Social media users have expressed their sadness at the news of Terrance’s passing.
One person posted: ‘I’m so sorry Terrance has passed away. His family did a wonderful job caring for this unique creature.
‘Thank you for sharing it with us. This has been my favorite story on TikTok. A hug to your son.’
Another commented: ‘I never thought I’d be crying over an octopus on the internet but here I am. Thank you for sharing your journey.’