Oregon Coast Aquarium Names Second Octopus After a Dungeon Crawler Carl Character

The Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, Oregon has named its newest giant Pacific Octopus Juicebox — after the changeling character from Matt Dinniman's Dungeon Crawler Carl book series. It's the second DCC-named octopus at the facility: a 22.5-pound male already living there goes by Donut, after Princess Donut herself.

The aquarists picked Juicebox specifically because octopuses naturally change their appearance to blend in, mirroring the character's shapeshifting abilities. In the books, Juicebox can shift into various forms at will — and at one point transforms into Ursula from The Little Mermaid, which makes the octopus connection feel less random than it sounds. Juicebox will be on display for roughly a year before being released back to the reef. The timing is notable too: Juicebox replaced an octopus named Anakin, which had just been released.

Dungeon Crawler Carl is a LitRPG series that has built a devoted fanbase over the past few years, and 2026 is shaping up to be its biggest year yet. The eighth book is on the way, a tabletop game and full toy line are in the works, and a TV adaptation was confirmed at Peacock with Seth MacFarlane attached. Getting two aquarium octopuses named after your characters — while a Star Wars octopus just got retired — is a strange but fitting symbol of the series punching above its weight.

If you're in Newport, Juicebox is available to visit now at the aquarium's Octopus Den. Whether the naming is a marketing move or genuine fan enthusiasm from the aquarists, the result is the same: another reason for DCC fans to make the trip.