Beloved SoCal octopus will spend her final days caring for eggs that will never hatch

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A beloved octopus is entering the last stage of her life in Long Beach,and will spend the remainder of her days caring for eggs that will never hatch.

News of the approaching demise of Ghost — a giant Pacific octopus who has called the Aquarium of the Pacific home for more than a year — prompted an outpouring of sadness on the aquarium’s social media accounts.

The last phase of an octopus’ life cycle is known as senescence. For males, it occurs after mating. For a female, like Ghost, the phase includes sitting on her eggs for six to seven months and a short period of time after they hatch.

Ghost most recently laid unfertilized eggs because she did not have a mate.

“Though sen