I am currently acclimating my new 8 armed friend into his very own 75 gallon. At the moment it is in a critter keeper, inside a 5 gallon bucket, with the drip line running. I received it via saltwaterfish.com this morning.

I'm thinking it is O. Filosus

Its mantle is about the size of an average strawberry, legs are several inches long (3-5 depending on activity)

Digital camera is fried so no pics today :(

Did I mention I love my girlfriend? This is a gift from her.

Very nice, and Welcome to the new baby. (By the way, I hope that's not the only reason you love your girlfriend!):wink:

Very nice, and Welcome to the new baby. (By the way, I hope that's not the only reason you love your girlfriend!):wink:

No, it's not the only reason, but it definitely seals the deal if you know what I mean. :grin:

I guess a better interpretation of its mantle size would be a large pecan.

It was a textured spikey brown when I pulled the bag out of the cooler. Now that it's settled down it is a mottled brown, legs are white. Suckers have orange/red rims.

Coolio. I plan on getting my octopus from saltwaterfish.com too. I want to have it on Friday. I am just going to look around a little bit at other online stores before I make my final decision. Good to know they are small, I was worried I would get one that was near the end of it's life. Good luck with him.

Thanks.

I spent two and a half hours acclimating it in the keeper. I let it into the bucket and after a few minutes it started to climb out so I put my finger in front of it. Then it turned black and started coming at my finger with a determined stride. I lured it back into the critter keeper and set it into the tank with the lid shut so I could observe.

There is a definite false eye-spot. I would say it was a Bimac if it wasn't from the Caribbean. It ranges from olive green with orangeish spots to white with brown blotches, smooth to spikey. I couldn't have gotten luckier as far as the personality goes. 4 hours in the tank and still climbing around on the glass.... and she took 2 thawed silversides from my fingers.

Welcome to #2 (Is that really her name? :smile:) - a very thoughtful present from your girlfriend!

I'll add her (your octopus!) to the List of Our Octopuses!

Glad you're in the octo keeping business again! We expect lots of good photos when the camera is working again.

Nancy

In spite of Sorceress' comments, I think getting you this little guy is reason enough to love your girlfriend!

I am very glad some of us are getting new critters so that I can enjoy them vicariously(new camera soon:fingerscrossed:). My 5 little guys are still going strong and still living in their breeder nets attached inside the main tank. I am, of course, extremely happy that they are doing so well but I had expected to try a larger octopus after Trapper died. The set up is working out too well to disrupt it and I don't have another tank (or room for adding one) appropriate for a bigger, daytime critter. We did add a Burr fish (Raymond) to our 140 gallon seahorse tank (only one horse now in residence) and a couple of delightful jaw fish to our refurbished 25 gallon nano so I have more than enough new socializing to do but there is that nagging desire to try a more interactive octopus. Keep the cards and letters (and pics) coming!

#2 is just temporary. I'm letting Alayna give her a real name. Pretty sure it's a "her".

I had a few exposures left on a plastic camera and used them up last night. As soon as I get them developed I'll be posting them.

We watched her wander about the tank until 11 o'clock last night, and as soon as I turned the light out, she got off the glass and disappeared into the rockwork.

That's great. I'm so glad you got one who apparently is diurnal and isn't shy!

Alayna made a great suggestion for a name.

She came on Tuesday. She's octopus number two for me. Soooo... Tuvalu, which means "8 standing together".

Thank you Sorseress. Meeee toooo! I've already spent more time interacting with her than I did with Einy in 4 months.

Well, I got home from work a little after 4PM, no octopus. An hour and a half later, and there she is. :) She climbed up the side of the tank, so I offered her a tiny piece of thawed shrimp, with my fingers. She accepted. She's been munching on it for about 10 minutes now.

Here's some pics...

http://www.madcastle.net/images/HPIM0752.JPG

http://www.madcastle.net/images/HPIM0755.JPG

http://www.madcastle.net/images/HPIM0762.jpg

http://www.madcastle.net/images/HPIM0763.jpg

too cute! congrats on the spunky little critter.

Yes, much as I try to avoid that word as a description of an octopus, I have to admit she's really cute!

I got lost in your explanation of her name (although I've already entered in on the List of Our Octopuses) - how does Tuvalu mean "8 standing together"? Is this some language I don't know?

Nancy

Yes, much as I try to avoid that word as a description of an octopus, I have to admit she's really cute!

I got lost in your explanation of her name (although I've already entered in on the List of Our Octopuses) - how does Tuvalu mean "8 standing together"? Is this some language I don't know?

Nancy

I'm sorry, I left that detail out. Tuvalu is Polynesian.

"OPINION 2147 (Case 3263)

Octopus hummelincki Adam, 1936 (Mollusca, Cephalopoda): specific name conserved

Abstract. The Commission has ruled that the specific name Octopus hummelincki Adam, 1936 is conserved for a common small ocellate octopus from the Caribbean and western Atlantic. The older name O. filosus Howell, 1868 was long regarded as a synonym of O. vulgaris Cuvier, 1797, but more recently has been synonymized with O. hummelincki (rather than O. vulgaris) The name O. filosus has had very little usage and its name has been suppressed."

from http://www.iczn.org/BZNJune2006opinions.html

Just thought I'd share.

Well, after a week in the tank Tuvalu has taken to eating the clean up crew. Doh! Found some turbo snail shells in her den. I don't see any hermits lingering about either.

She generally avoids the large urchin, but sometimes she seems to embrace the large Bahama Star... I don't know if she's tasting it, or trying to mate with it, or trying to get eaten by it... or what. She has some fascination with it though.

Animal Mother,
Both Carol and I have noticed that some serpent stars and octopuses hang out together and form some kind of bond. I had several serpents in the tank with Trapper but one in particular was always close to her den (even when she moved). I took out this star when she started brooding though for fear that it would try to eat the eggs (something I read but can't vouch for). This same star now stays in the den with my cuttlefish at all times (different tank).

Some video of Tuvalu I shot today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Iz9wBeszhA

I found her out running aroud at 11 this morning. Actually she was on the glass, eating yet another snail. I took it as a surprise because this is the first time I've seen her out before 4PM.

Cute little critter, isn't she?

Serpent stars (and brittle stars) don't exactly form a bond with an octopus - octopuses are messy eaters, so there's food available by hanging around an octopus. We've had at least one case of the octopus getting quite annoyed at the star.

Nancy

I captured some video of hand feeding Tuvalu a piece of shrimp.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZ903cFlmlo

Flashing colors, climbing around. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-W0eZinAdUo

Well, 21 days and I just found Tuvalu underneath my Bahama Star. Dead. I was afraid of that... I am considering using it as a frisbee. Stupid of me.

She was doing fine yesterday, no signs of any issues. Water is fine.

That is sad! You think the bahama star ate him or is just cleaning up? Tuvalu was a really cool octopus and you got some good footage of her. Saltwaterfish still has their octopuses on sale so at least that's a plus if you want another Filosus.

I'm pretty sure it ate her. Every single time I fed her there was Mr. Bahama Star trying to climb on top of her. She usually climbed into a crevice somewhere to eat so I imagine she did the same routine, and got trapped. The star is twice as big as she was. I had been looking for her since I got home this afternoon, and I kept noticing the star near her den, in the same place for a couple of hours. I finally decided something wasn't right and picked up the star, and there she was, halfway underneath the rock with a dead crab. There wasn't anywhere for her to go, so again, I'm pretty sure it trapped her and inverted its stomache... *explicit language goes here* I failed her. I remember reading someone elses post about the same thing and thought, "surely there was something wrong with that octopus" but at the same time, I knew the nature of this type of starfish. Geez... taking Mr. Bahama Star to trade in at a LFS sometime this week or maybe put it in the sump at work.

I am going to order another one, probably tonight. But it won't be Tuvalu :( *sigh*

:sad: :angelpus:

I guess there's no obvious way to tell if the star caused the death, or was just being opportunistic.

RIP Tuvalu

:cry:
I was afraid to open the post when I notice her name missing. Vicarious watching is not the same as keeping but it is hear felt.

Very sorry about Tuvalu. I know you were very fond of her. RIP Tuvalu:angelpus:

No, you'll never really know, but it's much better to be cautious in the future - not only you, but all our octo keepers.

Nancy

Rip Tuvalu.:angelpus: She had so much personality. I know you're going to miss her.

RIP Tuvulu, sorry you had such a short time with her.

:angelpus: That is so sad....I had no idea this type of starfish could be so aggressive. RIP little Tuvalu....

Here's an excerpt from WetWebMedia.com

(Oreaster reticulatus), a large starfish common in the Turtle grass beds of the tropical west Atlantic. Growing to twenty inches in diameter, it consumes mollusks, even oysters in heavily calcified, tightly shut shells, methodically and with a voracious appetite. Like others in this fascinating Class, the Reticulated Seastar possesses a cleverly evolved arsenal of hydraulic tube feet connected to an elaborate water-vascular system that encircles the animal's mouth and extends via five radial canals down the center of each arm.