Barnacle Bill - O. mercatoris

Like Crissy has mentioned about Adopus, the Macropus complex has a wide variety of species (look through my favorite book - if you have not already - and you will see a few really odd ones) attached to the group. Have you seen the green fluorescent dots like on O.briareus yet? Several of my pictures of Puddles would make you think O.briareus but he definitely was not.

There is the possibility that this one is so young that the arm ratio has not yet reached adult proportions but I kind of doubt it since my O.briareus and O.mercatoris hatchlings both were proportionate when they were very small. However, this is a pelagic born species and they start out not looking much like the adults (unlike the two large egged ones I have raised. I have not had the opportunity to see a small egg hatchling yet so I am going by photos but Monty is likely a small egg species and the proportions on his arrival have not changed much).
 
Well things seem to be progressing nicely. She, still guessing, denned up exactly where D would have predicted, in one of my large purple barnacles. She is using a snail shell as a door that she keeps sealed up during the day but open at night.
 

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hummm, the ONLY octo I have seen that will choose a den with only one opening is a merc ... but there are lots of them I have not even seen in pictures, let alone gotten close up and friendly with :wink: However, you may have a very expensive mercatoris if denning can be considered diagnostic.
 
Not much to report. I haven't seen her for quite a bit. I know she is in her hole cause her snail door moves every night. I have not observed any feeding yet and its got me a little nervous. I think I'm just going to buy a bunch of snails hermits and ghost shrimp, which is what she was eating at LA, and fill the aquarium.
 
samprasfan,
No, the photo with an octopus in a barnacle on Monty's thread is of an O.mercatoris to show sizing. Monty is in the photo above on top of the barnacles but not inside.
 
Well let's see. I have never seen this guy out. I know its alive as it is eating mostly snails and some hermit crabs. It lives in a purple barnacle and it has a snail shell door. I have tried to lightly pull on the door but the octo must be holding it in there, as it wont budge. I do see the door in different positions almost every morning, but it is typically being held in place side ways.

That's all I have to report, If I ever see it I'll post, but i wouldn't hold your breath.
 
What time do you look for this guy, and do you have red lights on after dark? I've only had one macropus, but it never came out until at least 11pm or so. It would come out with red lights on and the T.V. on in the background. All other lights were out. Once I figured out it's schedule, I'd find him out at all hours of the night. Sometimes he'd even still be up in the morning until sunrise, but then no sign of it during daylight hours!

I also ended up with O. boki once, which is a dwarf but could look like a baby macro with all of the red. Again, didn't come out until late, but very much more interactive than a merc!

Try red lights and staying up late!
 
I decided to call him Barnacle Bill. He I am going to call him a Mercatoris, at least until it can be proven otherwise.

I look for him at all hours. His tank is light with a simple cheapy single tube 18" florescent bulb. very dim. and is the evening i have no lighting at all. but I have all red bulbs in the room so the ambient light is red. The only time I can figure he is coming out is between 3am and 8am which is only time I am rarely awake.
 
I catch food locally to feed my merc. I toss in small crabs, hermit's, blennies, snails, sargassum shrimp, and whatever other tiny creatures I find rolling in the sargassum washing up the the shore. It give's him more of a diversity to hunt and it is pretty interesting to watch him zip to and from it's den to catch a passerby. I've noticed mine come alive when I add tons of inverts to the tank for him to choose from.
 
I didnt see Mystique for almost a month. Now she is out all the time. Maybe Barnacle Bill is just learning the ropes and figuring out that you are not a bad guy. I hope you get to see him soon. I know how frustrating it can be when you NEVER SEE THEM! After a while its like...:banghead: are you in there?
 
I love the name ... except he will likely get called Barney and I don't like the critter by that namesake :biggrin2:

I thought about bi-Krakey for the new bimac but Neal rejected it.
 
Well i couldn't resist I had to reach in there and steal his front door. I wanted to know for sure that he is still alive. He is. After a few minutes of prying I got his shell front door off and sure enough he was just sitting inside. He was in the very typical Merc pose with one arm aross his mantle in a defensive position. While I had the front door open i tried to offer him a little shrimp, but he just blew it away, I thin he was too pissed to eat. Bill obviously did not appreciate my rearranging his front door. he picked a new shell and is back to being sealed up in his barnacle.
 

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