Kleptopus

“The stories are true I say! I couldn’t believe my eyes. I caught him red-handed or at least pink tentacled. He just shrugged and tossed me a stone, and before I knew it he was up and over the side and back into the sea.”

The Kleptopus is an extremely rare species of octopus that few land lovers have ever heard about. One might hear tale of this creature through drunken gossip and murmurs at a seaside tavern. Not only are they reported to be smarter and cleverer than the sailors of the warm waters, but they are also supposedly even greedier. Although if you ask them, they would say that they just can’t resist taking a few nice shiny coins and gems to line their dens with. Rumors whisper that these octopuses will actually come out of the water and break into treasure holds and abscond with as much treasure as they can carry. But in return they will replace the trinkets with some very nice stones that they found on the sea floor. A fair trade if you ask the kleptopus.

Basic Information

Genetics and Reproduction

When attempting to mate, male Kleptopuses will gather several small shiny objects that they have gathered over the years and arrange them in intricate patterns in small caves, crevices, or shipwrecks in an attempt to attract a mate. If the female finds the display acceptable she may also add items to the mating site. Once mating is complete the male octopus leaves the site and undergoes rapid aging and quickly dies.
About 32 days after mating, the female octopus lays eight strings of 100 eggs that are suspended from the roof of the site. During this time she stops eating and constantly aerates, cleans, and protects the eggs. If all goes well, they will hatch in 100 days and the mother octopus finally succumbs to starvation and dies. If the eggs are left unattended, they will most likely not hatch and usually die. After the eggs successfully hatch, they will float in the water column eating plankton and larvae until they grow large enough to rest on the ocean floor and then live their live as a Kleptopus.

Growth Rate & Stages

These animals begin as small eggs and then hatch into free floating miniature versions of octopuses. They grow quickly and eventually settle to the bottom of the ocean where they find the nearest crack or crevice to live in. As they mature and grow bigger they must seek out larger and deeper shelters.

Ecology and Habitats

Able to live in every warm water ocean and sea on the planet, the kleptopus tends to stay near underwater structures in warm, sunny environments that support a robust amount of fish and prey items. They generally stay close to the shoreline and live among coral reefs, rock piles, underwater caverns, tide pools, seagrass beds, kelp forests, and of course shipwrecks.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The Kleptopus is an intelligent, predatory carnivore that feeds mainly on smaller sea creatures. Favored foods among this animal include various fish, clams, scallops, muscles, snails, crabs, bristle worms, and other crustaceans.

Behaviour

Despite being a very solitary and territorial animal, they will on occasion cooperate with other kleptopuses or even octopuses and fish in an attempt to capture prey or drive away unwanted intruders to the area.
This unusual creature also seems to develop an uncontrollable compulsion to gather and collect small shiny objects as they mature in age. They store and arrange these items in their hidden underwater dens in preparation for luring and attracting a future mate. As their collection grows, they exchange small stones and coral in place of the items that they acquire. This gives them more room to collect more items and a better chance to win a mate. In some instances there have been claims that this creature will even work with sailors, notably pirates, and often through trickery, in obtaining nice shiny objects that they then divvy up.

Additional Information

Social Structure

These octopuses are generally solitary creatures that only come together to mate before they die. On occasion they may work together and coordinate to accomplish some important task, usually involving food. However, there are rumors of this species occasionally adopting a humanoid as a favored pet, in which they go on adventures together, solve puzzles, and steal treasure.

Domestication

There are no records of any of these elusive octopuses ever being domesticated. All attempts to capture this cunning creature have failed spectacularly so far. A few tales suggest that some have actually chosen to work with certain smugglers, thieves, and pirates however.

Facial characteristics

The face of this creature is almost entirely a blank expression with the exception of two oversized mischievous eyes.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

These unique and extremely rare animals have a chance of being found in the warm coastal waters of many of the world’s oceans and seas. These octopuses have the best chance of being spotted in the equatorial regions of the Vastus Ocean, Daria Ocean, and Eldoris Ocean, as well as the Ples Mora and Ko Mora seas, where they frequent the Shadow Coast, Blood Coast, Haggard Coast, Coral Coast, and Carcass Coast.

Average Intelligence

This is an extremely intelligent animal that is constantly overlooked in terms of its intellect curiosity, and cunning. It is quite capable of problem solving, coordination, escaping complex traps, as well as possible communication between species.

“Ain’t a dog, but a pirate’s best friend. Or sometimes best… enemy. Frienemy?”

Scientific Name

Octopoda Octopus Kleptos

Lifespan

The estimated lifespan of this creature is estimated to be about 5 years if it is able to survive for that long.

Conservation Status

This species is not under any kind of governmental protection or conservation laws. Very few people outside of marina taverns have heard of its existence and of those who have, even less are inclined to believe it to be anything other than just another pirate tall tale.

Average Weight

This species of octopus weighs approximately 20 pounds on average.

Average Length

When this animal is stretched out from head to arm tip, it is about 3 to 4 feet long and about 12 to 18 inches wide.

Average Physique

This soft bodied species consists of a large head and mantle with two large eyes and 4 pairs of tentacle arms that surround a hard beaked mouth.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Although the octopus is famous for being able to change its color and texture, this particular species is either pink or perhaps just enjoys being pink or shades thereof.

Geographic Distribution

• The Vastus Ocean

“C’mon. They’re always able to lend a hand, and they’re great at picking up some extra coin. And they never drink the rum. What more could you ask for?”

Threats:

Being smaller than many other animals in the ocean, these kleptopuses occasionally find themselves as meals for other creatures. Some of these include a variety of large fish, sharks, rays, octopuses, orcas, dolphins, seals, sea otters, large sea birds, and humanoids.