In Otter News: Fitz the nonapus (kinda)

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In Otter News: Fitz the nonapus (kinda)

A giant Pacific octopus has been calling the Great Lakes Aquarium home since June of 2024.

Octopuses have eight tentacles. It’s right in their name. But Fitz, the Giant Pacific Octopus at the Great Lakes Aquarium, kind of has nine.

“She has a split in the arm, probably from an early injury that healed over and was able to create a new arm from that. And she’s able to move it independently from any of the other arms,” Adam Lein said.

Fitz arrived in Duluth in June of 2024 after being found on the coast of British Columbia, and she chose her own name after a social media contest.

“We had peanut butter containers with food with the label of … the two names on it. So whichever one she chose and opened the container first was her name,” Lein said.

One of Lein’s favorite fun facts about octopuses is that while they can change color, they are color-blind.

“Right now, she does change to like a mottled grayish color. She does try to blend in with the rocks and the back den areas,” he said.

Fitz can be seen in the Oceans Alive exhibit at the Great Lakes Aquarium.