Name That Octopus: Butterfly Pavilion Announces Contest

WESTMINSTER, CO -- A new cephalopod in Colorado’s Butterfly Pavilion needs a name. The zoo this week announced a naming contest for its newest invertebrate, an Octopus vulgaris, better known as the common octopus.

During the week of April 23-28, visitors to the Westminster-based Butterfly Pavilion can see the octopus and submit a name. The pavilion staff will even consider naming the eight-armed creature after a member of the Colorado General Assembly, if there are enough votes.

Butterfly Pavilion staff will select the five best names for a public vote at Butterflies.org the week of April 30-May 3, revealing the winner during the May the Fourth celebration on May 4, 2018.

The winner receives a Butterfly Pavilion family membership and a behind-the-scenes tour of the zoo.

The newest octo-guy is from the Florida Keys, but other octopi and squid can be found throughout tropical and sub-tropical areas of the Atlantic Ocean, the zoo said. With an average lifespan of 1-2 years and ranging in size from 12-36″ and 6 ½ to 22 pounds, octopi are known for their intelligence and even collect shells to decorate their dens, knowns as "octopus gardens."

“People are able to relate to octopuses in a way that is unrivaled by any other invertebrate,” said Pavilion aquarist, Sara Stevens. “Due to their intelligence and almost childlike way in which octopuses interact with the world, our guests seem to connect and fall in love with them very easily. It’s an animal that instantly creates a sense of awe and wonder, making them fun and important ambassadors for ocean conservation.”

You can see the octopus in person at live feedings next week, Tuesday and Friday at 2:30 p.m. Octopuses eat crustaceans, bivalves (clams, mussels, etc.) and fish.

Butterfly Pavilion is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 6252 West 104th Ave., Westminster. Admission is $8/children (2-12), $12/adults (Westminster residents $10), $10/seniors and children under 2 are free.

Find out more at www.butterflies.org or by calling 303-469-5441.