Ohio zoo’s new octopus gets moniker and meal, pulling shrimp from ball to choose Cora as name

AKRON, Ohio — A giant Pacific octopus that’s the star attraction at an Ohio zoo’s new reef exhibit has chosen her name by pulling shrimp from a labeled ball.
A list of 2,200 suggestions submitted to the Akron Zoo in a public naming contest was narrowed to three options Monday for the 20-pound (9-kilogram), 4-foot-long (1.2-meter-long) octopus, and she chose Cora. It’s a shortened version of coral, which is a popular octopus habitat and the theme of the exhibit.

The Akron Beacon Journal (http://bit.ly/LvJ404 ) reports the octopus made her decision by selecting the ball labeled Cora, pulling out shrimp, and then holding up the winning name with a tentacle as photographers captured the moment.
The most-submitted name suggestion had been Octavia. The other option, Scarlet, referred to the creature’s reddish skin.