TikTok Famous Terrance The Octopus Died, Leaving A Tentacled Legacy

Terrance the octopus made quite the splash captivating hearts all over the world while becoming a TikTok sensation.

After the big surprise of many baby octopuses and quite the adventure, Terrance's story has sadly ended.

While it was expected, it's still not easy.

The Clifford family, along with the many people around the world who made up the online "octo-nation," are mourning the loss of this special octopus.

A video shared on TikTok a few days ago reveals the sad news that Terrance has passed away.

"There he is, or she is. I don't know. October 11, 2023. Super active. It's a lot bigger than I thought," Cameron Clifford said in the video.

The video clip shown was the first video the family shot of Terrance in her tank. And then sadly, the AI voice narrating the video said, "And this is the last video, around six months later."

Terrance passed away on April 22, 2024, Earth Day.

"We placed her in a box with all the things that remind us of her," the video continued. "Cal chose to bury her next to this group of trees because it reminded him of octopus tentacles. It was understandably a very sad day."

After laying eggs, many eggs, Terrance lived another 135 days which exceeded what anyone originally expected.

"Cal chose the name Terrance after a rebellious character in a book he had recently read. For many reasons, I had always thought it was an odd name for an octopus.  I assumed it to be irony, stemming from the Latin word 'terra' meaning earth and land," the video continued. "But the name Terrance in Latin actually means soft and smooth."

The video concluded with an important message.

"Life can be sad, but still full of meaning," the narrator said. "And even though this tank now sits empty, this sleeping boy, just three feet from it, now feels his soul a little more full. So much joy from a not-so-tiny octopus."

Terrance gained many followers throughout her journey shared on TikTok. Many left messages for the family after hearing about Terrance's passing.

"I’m so sorry Terrance has passed. Your family did a wonderful job caring for this unique creature. Thank you for sharing her with us. This has been my favorite story on TikTok. Hugs to your son," one follower wrote.

Another person shared, "What a whirlwind of a story. Predictable ending yet you never want it to come. You have done great by your kids and Terrance. Thank you for sharing and bringing awareness."

And while everyone expected this sad ending, it didn't make it easier.

"I knew it was coming, but I'm still heartbroken. Love and hugs to Terrance's humans. Thank you for sharing your journey!" one person wrote. Another said, "I never thought I’d be crying over an octopus on the internet but here I am. Thank you for sharing her journey. Please give Cal our love."

Just one day before Terrance passed away, the Clifford family shared a video of some of her babies, showing they were getting bigger. They also wanted to apologize for not posting for a bit, and explain where the funds from t-shirt sales and donations are going.

"I documented this journey because it was a fun way to spend time with my kids, but when the act of documenting it takes away from time with my kids, it becomes counterintuitive," the video explained. "Due to the funds that were raised through either t-shirt sales or donations, these babies are fully funded until they go to their new homes, which at this point have all been allocated."

The Clifford family found a home for every single one of Terrance's offspring. Proceeds from the t-shirt sales will also be helping out the universities that are taking the babies so they can fund their own programs.

The video went on to share how the babies are doing and say that they are "essentially octopus teenagers now."

A video posted in March shared the story of how Terrance came to be the Clifford family pet. Not long after, another video shared that Terrance was starting to add strangely. Then, the family learned that she laid eggs and they were about to go from one pet octopus to many!

A later video explained more of the story.

"We had been with Terrance approximately two months prior to her laying eggs. This signals the end of the female bimac's lifespan," the video explained. "Whether or not the female mates, she will lay approximately 40 to 70 eggs. Fertilized or not, she will constantly protect them, ignoring the need to eat, and take care of herself."

The family thought the eggs were empty but later had the shocking surprise that they were about to have tons of little baby octopuses swimming around.

Another video explained some of the crazy adventures they were experiencing.

"Between catching the escapees, changing the water, adding more shrimp, and returning all the babies to the tank and caring for the mom, it would require two to three hours every day," they said. "After one full week since Pearl [the first baby] hatched, we had somehow managed to catch, house, and feed a total of exactly 50 hatchlings."

Follow Terrance's amazing journey on the family's TikTok page.