Strange octopus

[DWhatley]

OB,
Take another look at that mantle tip and in the other referenced video. Note that it is not pointy like the blue rings (granted I have only seen one live one and can only really go by photos) but is shaped like an anemone in both videos. The one in Germany buried it self in the sand after the video and was rarely seen afterwards so I suspect they den "underground" but would they use the anemone as a lure or as camo?

 

[:)GlassDragon]

I just popped over here to thinking I'd see something really neat (and I did) but got even more out of...

My little Goo does cloud passing displays regularly. Not in a fashion as fast as the one in teuzzo's vid but still quite rapid and usually while engaging in the same activity - as he moves quickly about the live rock pocking his arms in the holes. He also has a very similar shape and stiffens up his mantel forming this odd little tip while 'hunting' around the tank.
Goo looks extremely similar too the octo in the videos dwhatley linked - the ones from the member in Germany. While Goo is pretty active during the day so I'm not sure about just how nocturnal he is nor does he really retreat to a den very often. In fact, quite rarely. However, the one den he has created is an area he dug out under one of the large rocks.

This is the same little octo that has been seen going bipedal across the tank more than once now too.

Strange little fellow but certainly keeping us entertained, curious and wondering 'what's next?' all at the same time.

 

[spinycheek]

That is a really cool video. I've never seen an octopus diving that didn't hide in the nearest hole when it saw me. You're very lucky to be able to see one out and about for so long, and to have it display like that, truly amazing!

 

[mucktopus]

Ahh yes- this familiar octo. Neogonodactylus- this is possibly an adult of (I think) the "sand octo" we caught juvs of in Moorea for years but never caught adults- I'll try to post a pic of one from Rurutu. We have them in Raja Ampat too (bottom selection in the camouflage picture of the month contest- Feb? March? If forget).

 

[Neogonodactylus]

Mucktopus,

I'll take a look at a juvenile that we brought back from Moorea in January. It now appears to be full grown, but no passing clouds that I have noticed.

Roy

 

[mucktopus]

Thanks boss. And an arm tip? In the wild I tended to see A. aculeatus use the passing cloud only around dusk. It could be the lighting conditions in the lab aren't a good trigger.

 

[DWhatley]

Thanks boss.

Are you back at Berkeley?

 

[:)GlassDragon]

Thanks boss. And an arm tip? In the wild I tended to see A. aculeatus use the passing cloud only around dusk. It could be the lighting conditions in the lab aren't a good trigger.

Hi Muktopus, I think I have A. aculeatus (Olliegoo) but I'm not positive. He's certainly a funny little character. But as far as the passing cloud display goes, he does this quite a bit. Such as like while poking around in the holes of the rocks similar to the way the one in the video is. I just hadn't given the overall timing/circumstances a great deal of thought but now that you mention this, he always does this in the morning and evening. My lighting is set up to cycle on/up from relatively low on up to near daylight conditions over a period of about 45 min to a hour. From the perspective of being underwater, of course. Then cycles down from daylight to night the same. He also has a tendency to do this though when my 9 year old daughter walks up to the tank. She doesn't approach quickly or generally even touch the tank and Goo isn't necessarily doing this in an aggressive manner - it's more of an intense curiosity type of reaction.

Just thought I'd mention it.

 

[Neogonodactylus]

Mucktopus,

You were right. It does appear to be the same species and the reason I wasn't seeing a passing cloud display was because the animal is in a glass jar. Once on gravel, it got excited and started flickering away.

Roy

 

[mucktopus]

excellent on all fronts! Hmm... now to figure out the lighting cues...Roy- do you ave pics of the adult?

Oh- and even though I'm not in Berkeley anymore, Roy's always an honorary boss!

 

[DWhatley]

Oh- and even though I'm not in Berkeley anymore, Roy's always an honorary boss!

 

[teuzzo]

News:
the species appears to be Octopus laqueus, described from Okinawa by Natsumi Kaneko.

 

[#30Girl]

whoa...im surprised the octopus didn't attack you...maybe it had somrthing else on its mind...

 

[Keith]

Wow. I've never seen anything like that before. Cool.