Paul the Octopus won’t predict the outcome of any more World Cup games — or anything else, for that matter.
The prognosticator of soccer championships has died, the Sea Life Aquarium in Germany said on Tuesday.
The eight-tentacled undersea creature, who was only two and a half years old, was found dead in his tank when staff arrived, a spokeswoman said.
“He appears to have passed away peacefully during the night, of natural causes, and we are consoled by the knowledge that he enjoyed a good life here,” said Stefan Porwoll, manager of the aquarium in Oberhausen. “His success made him almost a bigger story than the World Cup itself.”
It is not unusual for an octopus to live such a short lifespan, he noted, adding that the mollusk may be buried on the aquarium’s grounds.
Paul correctly forecast all eight games he was asked to predict during the 2010 World Cup, including Spain’s 1-0 win over the Netherlands in the final. He made his picks by using his suction-cupped tentacles to pull a mussel treat from one of two boxes marked with the team names.
With News Wire Services
msheridan@nydailynews.com; or follow him at Twitter.com/NYDNSheridan
