A FRISKY female octopus has got her aquarist well and truly under her skin.

An aquarist at the Trafford Centre’s Sea Life, Joe Lavery’s colleagues noticed Miranda, named after the comedienne Miranda Hart because of her sense of humour, had a permanently dark hue when Joe fed her.

Octopuses change colour according to their moods and the darker the skin, the happier they are.

Joe, 23, said: “Octopuses are highly intelligent.

“Miranda genuinely seems to recognise me, greets me happily every day and loves nothing better than a bit of gentle wrestling.”

The jolly one-year-old now has one hour’s dedicated playtime a day with the object of her affection.

Joe, who studied marine biology at Bangor University, has taught her to unscrew a jam jar to access her food and is building her an underwater maze.

The mischievious cephalopod has also soaked her unsuspecting friend a few times using the tube-like siphons on the side of her head.

For information or to book tickets for SEA LIFE, see: visitsealife.co.uk/manchester.