Tree Octopus

"Does my heart good watching 'em playing in the rigging - there's no source of joy in the world like a couple of happy octopuses." - Izar Ibarzabal, master sailor and wind-whistler

The Floating Forests forests of the Great Ring are known for their many unusual creatures, who have migrated from the ocean below and adapted to live among the seaborne trees. Of these, there is no more iconic species than the Tree Octopus. This arboreal cephalopod is found in forests throughout The Middlesea, and is a favorite pet among the sailors of the Great Ring.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Tree Octopus is a fairly small cephalopod, with a mantle about six inches across and arms that reach about two feet in length. Its eight arms are arranged in a circle around the head, and it can use them all independently of each other. Like other octopuses, the Tree Octopus has no skeleton, and can squeeze through any opening that can accommodate its beak. It uses this to hide inside crevices and cracks inside the trees of the Floating Forests. It is also able to camouflage itself by altering the color of its skin to blend in with its environment.

The Tree Octopus moves through the trees through a combination of swinging and gliding. It will wrap one or more of its tentacles around a tree branch, and then swing its body to generate momentum before letting go and seizing the next branch. If the distance is too far for this, they can also flatten their entire body to glide through the air. Tree Octopuses have been seen to cover up to a hundred feet at a time while gliding, and can shape their body to direct their flight, even making turns of up to ninety degrees in the air.

Lifecycle

Tree Octopuses are hatched from eggs laid in the brackish pools found atop the root-mass of the Floating Forests. They spend their first several months living in those pools, eating whatever they can catch (including their own siblings). Eventually they grow large enough to climb into the upper branches of the trees, where they spend the rest of their lives.

The exact lifespan of a Tree Octopus is uncertain. These cephalopods only mate once in their life, and always die shortly thereafter. Sometimes the males are eaten by the females shortly after mating, but even if they escape this fate they will enter a period of senescence and die within a few weeks. Female Tree Octopuses live long enough to deposit their eggs at the base of the tree before dying, usually moving to a pool as far away from their eggs as possible.

However, there does not appear to be any limit to how long a Tree Octopus can live before mating. Some sailors have had Tree Octopus pets for decades, doing their best to keep them from mating. This is aided by the fact that the octopuses will not mate unless they are close to a pool where the eggs can be laid; this typically means that if they are on a ship or an island, they will not attempt to mate at all. But if they return to a Floating Forest, they will often do their best to find a partner and mate as soon as possible. In the wild, a Tree Octopus usually lives for one to five years.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Tree Octopuses are carnivores. In their natural environment, they primarily hunt the insects, crustaceans, and amphibians that live in the trees of the floating forests. They are excellent ambush predators, flattening themselves against the tree trunks and hiding until an unsuspecting creature passes by, close enough to drop onto and envelop. They are also known to descend to the water around the tree roots to gather molluscs from the root mass, or catch fish in the pools. This is a dangerous activity, as it can expose them to predation by the Zurigarra that live at the lower elevations.

When kept as pets, Tree Octopuses are not finicky eaters, and can happily eat just about any kind of meat that is available.

Behaviour

Tree Octopuses are highly intelligent animals, on par with a smart dog. They are also extremely curious, a trait which can sometimes cause chaos aboard ships. Their ability to squeeze through the smallest openings combined with their dexterity and problem-solving skills means that they can get into just about any container they are interested in, and some sailors even claim their pets have learned to pick locks.

While they are not social with each other, Tree Octopuses are quite happy to spend time with other species (as long as they believe food is likely to be provided). Some are even affectionate with their two-legged companions, although this may be a learned behaviour to manipulate potential food-providers. They are often seen draped over the shoulders of their companions, watching everything going on around them.

Alternative Names

Zuhaitzpolipo (Hizkuntza)
Ki-tako (Yanjinese)
Billey-octoo (Vanx)

Geographic Distribution

• The Middlesea

Not To Be Confused With...

The Bandit Octopus of the Sommersee shares many traits with the Tree Octopuses of the Floating Forests. They are both clever and inquisitive, and both can be found on land. However, the Bandit Octopus does not make a good pet. It cannot survive indefinitely out of the warm waters of the Sommersee, and does not want to be your friend. You can read more about the bandit octopus and the Sommersee here.

Like Cats And Dogs

Sailors like pets, but not all of them get along with each other. Tree Octopuses are territorial, and do not like sharing a ship with animals that they see as competitors, and will try to drive them out. This applies to other Tree Octopuses, but even more so to the Kapuskarja, another popular sailor pet. The animosity between the Tree Octopuses and the Kapuskarja has achieved mythical status among sailors, and captains will typically refuse to permit both on board at the same time. You can read more about the kapuskarja here.

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