How to Tame the Palaeoctopus in ARK Survival Ascended Genesis Part 1
One bad pull and this tame is over. A broken scuba tank, an eel grabbing you mid-feed, a stray shark — any of it ends the run before you land your first hit of biotoxin. We've tamed multiple Palaeoctopuses across different levels. Prep beats combat skill every time here.


Where to Find It
Only spawns in the ocean biome of Genesis Part 1. No other biome, no exceptions.
| Location | Difficulty | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Near islands/coastline | Easy | Camouflages on surfaces — required for it to grab you |
| Open ocean | Avoid | Never camouflages, never grabs you, tame is impossible |
Skip open-water sightings entirely. It has to be camouflaged against terrain to initiate the grab. Check rock formations near islands instead.
Use a Gene Scanner to spot camouflaged ones fast. Without it, you're eyeballing rock textures — slower, but works.
Gear Checklist
| Item | Why |
|---|---|
| Flippers | Faster positioning |
| Scuba tank (multiple) | High-level grabs hold you a long time — run out of air, tame's dead |
| Biotoxin | Stronger torpor per feed than narcotic |
| Mutton or Jelly Kibble | Post-knockout taming food |
| Melee weapon | Clear threats before/during |
| Combat mount (optional) | Handles aggro while you're stuck grabbed |
Kill everything nearby first. Non-negotiable. Once grabbed, you're stationary — any shark or eel in range gets a free shot. We lost one attempt to an eel that grabbed us mid-feed and broke the whole sequence.
Taming Steps
1. Let it grab you — direct contact only, no distance trigger.
2. Wait for the cue — screen shakes, beak opens wide.
3. Feed biotoxin during that window. Feeding outside the cue does nothing.
4. Repeat until knocked out.
5. Switch to mutton/kibble post-knockout.
6. Feed until tame bar fills.
Real numbers from a level 20 tame:
- One biotoxin feed = ~700-800 torpor
- Full knockout = 5-7 feedings
- Mutton fill rate = ~5% per feed (single-player rates)
- Total mutton needed = ~20 pieces
Higher levels scale fast. Bring more food than feels necessary.
Torpor Decay Is Slow — Use It
Unlike land tames, torpor barely drops once knocked out. That buys you time to clear a threat or grab more food without losing progress. Don't get lazy though — wander too far, and even slow decay catches up on high-level targets.
After the Tame
Saddle engram unlocks at your next level post-tame. Cheap to craft, nothing exotic.
Why it's worth the hassle: high weight stat, puts it in Karkinos territory for cargo runs. Add the grab ability for underwater crowd control, and it's a legit utility mount — not just a novelty tame.
FAQ
What food does the Palaeoctopus need?
Jelly kibble or mutton for taming. Biotoxin or narcotic for knockout. Biotoxin is faster.
Why won't it grab me in open water?
It only grabs when camouflaged on terrain. Open water = no camouflage = no grab, ever.
How many feedings for knockout?
5-7 biotoxin feeds on a level 20. Higher levels need more — bring extra.
Do I need a scuba tank?
Not technically — Genesis ocean has low oxygen drain. Bring one anyway for your first attempt. High-level grabs last longer than you'd guess.
What's the #1 mistake players make?
Not clearing the area first. Get grabbed near active predators, and you're defending yourself with zero mobility. That's how tames get lost.
Bottom Line
Clear the area. Bring extra biotoxin and mutton. Hunt coastline camouflage spots, not open-water swimmers. Follow that order, and this tame turns from a gamble into a checklist.
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