Paul the Octopus, who correctly predicted the outcome of games during this year's World Cup soccer tournament, is dead.
The eight-tentacled cephalopod oracle died of natural causes at age 2 and a half, the aquarium where he lived said Tuesday.
"We are consoled by the knowledge that he enjoyed a good life here ..." said Stefan Porwoll, manager of the Oberhausen Sea Life Center. "We had all naturally grown fond of him and he will be sorely missed."
Paul enthralled millions of people around the world by correctly predicting the outcome of several World Cup matches this year.
His caretakers set him up to make predictions for a particular match by draping boxes in his tank with the national flags of teams that were set to play each other. The boxes contained food for Paul. The caretakers divined his pick by watching to see which box he opened first.
"Paul amazed the world by correctly predicting the winners of all Germany's World Cup clashes, and then of the final," Porwoll said in a statement.