COLUMBIA, S.C. — The holiday gift-giving season has just begun, and the folks over at Riverbanks Zoo & Garden are celebrating early with the arrival of a new zoo family member.
Susan the Giant Pacific Octopus is now on display in the zoo's new Darnall W. and Susan F. Boyd Aquarium and Reptile Conservation Center (ARCC). The eight-armed cephalopod is the favorite animal of benefactor Susan Boyd and is named in her honor.
According to a Riverbanks representative, mechanical issues with the water chiller and tank sealant led to delays in opening the exhibit. Still, nine months to the day of ARCC's opening, Susan is now on display.
Giant Pacific octopi are native to the North Pacific and are adapted to cold, oxygen-rich water. Found in waters as deep as 6,600 feet, adults usually weigh about 33 pounds with an arm span of up to 14 feet, although some specimens have weighed in at over 100 pounds with arm spans of 20 feet. Enteroctopus dofleini (the scientific name for the giant Pacific octopus) can live up to three to five years and feed on smaller marine fish and shellfish -- even other octopi.
These animals are considered quite intelligent and have demonstrated the ability to recognize humans with whom they regularly come in contact.
Susan can be viewed during regular daytime visiting hours inside the Aquarium and Reptile Conservation Center directly across from the moon jelly wall. Visitors are reminded that the zoo closes daily at 4 p.m. until Jan. 14 for the Wild Lights event.