Octopus found with missing arm gets released into Sanibel waters

SANIBEL, Fla. —

The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife, Inc. (CROW) recently rescued and released an octopus that was missing an arm.

CROW said they were contacted by beachgoers who saw the octopus on Feb. 23, but it was in "excellent" overall condition when the organization's staff found it.

CROW staff noted it was bright, responsive, swam normally, maintained strong suction, and showed no signs of systemic illness. The octopus was released back into the waters off Sanibel that same day after staff found no additional concerns in their evaluation.

According to CROW, arm loss for an octopus can happen due to predator encounters or environmental hazards, but the limb will gradually regrow.

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