ARK: Survival Ascended Genesis Wiki
ARK: Survival Ascended Genesis — Palaeoctopus
Palaeoctopus guide for ARK Genesis Tides of Fortune: spawn zones, knockout taming, ink abilities, saddle perks, and deep-ocean scouting strategies.
Overview of the Palaeoctopus
The Palaeoctopus is Genesis Ascended flagship underwater tame—a cephalopod predator larger than Tusoteuthis in agility but smaller in raw health. It inhabits deep Ocean trenches, volcanic vent outskirts, and corrupted offshore caverns where visibility drops to near zero. Wild specimens use camo skin shifts and ink clouds to ambush X-trilobite schools and unsuspecting divers harvesting black pearls.
Tamed Palaeoctopuses serve as stealth recon submarines for naval tribes. Their ability to latch onto ship hulls and ride silently into enemy harbors makes them PvP staples on unofficial servers, while PvE players rely on their cave navigation and pearl farming bonuses. Unlike many underwater mounts, the Palaeoctopus can invert on ceilings inside underwater Genesis tunnels—a critical advantage in artifact cave routes.
Taming Preparation and Process
Palaeoctopus taming is knockout-based using Torpor-inducing ammunition or the Genesis Tranq Harpoon launched from a ship deck. Target individuals separated from pairs; grouped octopuses share aggro and regenerate torpor quickly in kelp cover. Build a mobile taming pen from Metal Water Gates anchored to the seafloor, or kite into a pre-built submarine cave pen with air pockets.
Preferred food is Exceptional Kibble post-knockout, with Raw Prime Meat as backup. Maintain torpor above fifty percent using Bio Toxin or Narcoberries delivered via remote feeding trough placed on the seafloor. Taming effectiveness drops sharply if the creature takes damage from drowning mechanics—ensure the pen water depth stays above the Palaeoctopus suffocation threshold displayed on its stat panel.
Key Abilities and Combat Role
Camo Pulse renders the rider and mount nearly invisible for twelve seconds, breaking on attack. Use Camo Pulse to scout Corrupted Master Controller platform underwater intakes without triggering drone aggro. Ink Burst blinds aquatic and surface targets in a wide cone, disrupting Megalodon packs and enemy swimmer boarding parties.
Arm Grapple lets the Palaeoctopus attach to ship hulls, wild leviathans, and cave ceilings, enabling vertical escapes from X-Mosasaur bites. Squeeze Through allows entry into Genesis micro-caves inaccessible to Tusoteuthis, where loot crates containing Tek blueprints and hexagon boosters spawn. Level health and stamina for deep trench operations; melee increases grapple damage over time against stationary targets.
Saddle, Breeding, and Fleet Integration
The Palaeoctopus Saddle unlocks at level 58 and adds three inventory slots plus a passive pearl harvest multiplier when scraping clams and oil nodes. Tek Palaeoctopus Saddle variants grant extended Camo Pulse duration and sonar jamming that hides your ship from AI patrol routes for thirty seconds— invaluable during Moeder Master of the Ocean approach lanes.
Breeding Palaeoctopuses is resource-intensive due to long gestation and cold-depth requirements near Arctic underwater vents. Imprinted offspring gain reduced oxygen consumption, letting riders skip scuba gear during extended cave runs. Fleet integration best practice: pair one Palaeoctopus per combat Galleon for underwater hull repairs using its grapple station, while Tidepups handle surface loot detection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are the best Palaeoctopus spawn locations?
Deep Ocean trenches east of the main mission hub, volcanic vent rims in the Ocean-Volcanic transition zone, and corrupted cavern mouths near offshore platforms. Night spawns increase elite variant rates.
Tranq arrows or Harpoon for taming?
Genesis Tranq Harpoon from a ship deck is safest—it applies torpor without chasing into deep water. Crossbows work in shallow pens but risk killing low-level specimens.
Can Palaeoctopus outrun X-Mosasaurus?
Short bursts yes, via Camo Pulse and vertical ceiling grapples. Sustained chases favor the Mosasaur—avoid open-water straight lines and break line of sight with Ink Burst.
Does ink affect tribe members?
Ink Burst blinds enemies and neutrals only when tribe damage settings are configured for PvE assistance. Verify tribe settings before using ink near allied swimmers.
Is the Tek saddle worth the hexagon cost?
For tribes running Moeder or Corrupted Master Controller offshore content, yes. Sonar jamming and extended Camo reduce repair costs and consumable waste on long naval campaigns.