bought an octopus, but what kind?

[DWhatley]

I am pretty sure she is at least a month behind mine (maybe two). Cassy and Tatanka are now 8 months old and both recent (in the last few years) journals of very young O. briareus (Kalypso and Legs) showed a full 12 months of tank life (the last two months being den ridden). I plan to attempt a breeding between my two at 10 months which may shorten Cassy's life (but not by much since she would lay infertile eggs anyway. Hopefully, I can prevent shortening Tanks life during the process and don't wait too long and miss the opportunity).

 

[corpusse]

So now she's a she? I thought male..

anyway here are today's pictures, got some new colourations.

In his original den.

This looks like a very awkward pose

The flash helps bring out the green but he's looking almost white here

a more "normal" colour. This is at the back of the tank so the glass is not as clean

This one is possibly my favorite photo yet

head is slightly out of focus ruining what could have been a near perfect shot

closeup of an arm

This is the colour he usually is

I wish I had a low light video camera. I just have a cheapo pocket hd cam which works GREAT in daylight but not so much in dark tank light, and almost not at all in no tank light.

Also fed him a fiddler for the first time in a long time today. Didn't strike at it when it first got into the tank but once it crawled toward him he quickly grabbed it. Good thing he eats mostly shimp. I think he'd probably eat 3-4 crabs a day if that was his primarily diet.

 

[DWhatley]

I have also noticed that photographs (even without flash) pick up the green that the eye does not see.

One consistency we have seen is that quantity of food consumed is inconsistent between individuals of the same species and has no direct bearing on size.

He should be sexually mature at this point. Does he keep the third arm to the right curled (at least at the tip) most of the time? I have been looking in the photos but may well have missed it. I did have one merc that did not show sexual maturity until somewhere between 6 and 7 months (Medusa). I was convince he was female (as was his male tank mate) and disappointed when he finally matured as I had hoped Sisturus would produce offspring (he was a particularly interactive mercatoris and I was curious if offspring would be likewise).

As Gilda Radner's Emily Litella character would say, "Never mind". I had forgotten about (until I went back and reviewed) seeing the photos where you took a very clear shot of his hectocotylus and the spermataphore channel.

 

[corpusse]

Fed a couple more fiddlers today. I've had them for months and months so I should burn through them before they die. The filter on their tank died and I don't plan on replacing it, however the small amount of water is still clear and does not smell.

 

[corpusse]

More photos, I hope you are not bored of looking. I take a LOT

Some with flash some without

 

[DWhatley]

Photographs are never boring and I love the depth of field you get in a lot of them.

I've been meaning to suggest an experiment I am trying but can't make a call on the result. One of the differences in Cassy's tank and Tatanka's home is the water flow at the top of the aquarium. Last week I rerouted one of my returns in Tank's tank so that it flows close to the surface. He has been out much more from the day I made the change, HOWEVER, he was not on the side of the tank where I changed the flow (albeit it would effect the other side to some degree but this aquarium is two tanks joined by two 6" tubes so it is har to tell how much effect the surface flow on one side impacts the other). For the last two days, he has moved to a den on the side with the raised flow (there is a Koralia at the bottom of the tank on each side as in Cassy's tank so there is still bottom movement). I don't know if his coming out behavior has anything to do with the waterflow change but wanted to mention it.

 

[corpusse]

The correct way to measure a mantle is from behind the eye on right?

I'm trying to measure him but he's scared of the tape!
The camera flash doesn't bother him but measuring tape even on the outside of the glass does...

I'd estimate his mantle is about 2.5" I know arm to arm he can reach about 27" maybe more if he's fully stretched out.

 

[corpusse]

So the last couple of days have been pretty interesting. Yesterday it looked like it was snowing in the tank. I looked a little closer and there are tiny suction cups everywhere. He shed his skin.

This morning, he was going absolutely crazy. I watched him for a good hour, he went everywhere in the tank, going in an out of holes, almost like he was showing me what he can still fit through even though he's so much bigger now. He also reached the bottom of the tank right to the top. (24" high but I already knew his arms were that long). He did many different colour changes and puffed up to make himself look even bigger. I took several photos but really wanted to get some video. Unfortunately all I have is a crappy pocket hd camcorder that does TERRIBLE in low light. I took a couple of videos then used a little 10k led light with the camera and got a few decent shots. I thought about turning on the tank lights early but did not want to screw with the timer.

After watching for a bit longer I gave him a piece of shrimp. Now this was really unexpected. He swam up to my arm and grabbed it with all 8 of his. Usually he holds on with 2-3 arms and uses the rest to brace himself against the rock so I can't pull him towards me. This time he was going all out. I could not hold my ground, well I probably could but was not going to injure him. So in I went and I thought for sure I was going to get bit but once I let go of the shrimp in my hand he eventually let me go.

I really really wish I could have video taped that but unlike my octopus I only have 2 arms so it could not be done.

I will post the pics and videos shortly.

 

[corpusse]

 

[DWhatley]

The brown color around the eyes "seems" to mean they are "on guard". It does not seem to mean they are overly afraid or aggressive but on alert (at least this is my translation).

I keep waiting for "someone" to be bitten by this species. They seem to be overtly aggressive at some stage in their lives yet bitting does has not been a part of the "aggression". When I can see the beak area during an "attack", the beak has never been exposed.

 

[corpusse]

 

[corpusse]

Another new video

 

[DWhatley]

Are we having fun yet?

 

[corpusse]

Are we having fun yet?

Yeah finally.

Well I have been having fun for a while, but the first few months were very trying. I have learned a lot these past few months, not only about Octopus behavior but patience in general.

I still think I will eventually get bit if I let him go all over my hand and not let go of the shrimp. After filming that last video I startled him which is unusual and he really inked a big cloud, of course since I have a big skimmer and lots of flow it was gone very quickly. Later in the day I was doing a water change on my reef tank and I look over and he's out watching me! He doesn't venture out during the day much still but from time to time he does come out now opposed to NEVER. In fact now I watch the tank less and see him about 100x more then before.

Also he now has a 3rd den. He cleared out some sand under the main rock structure and hangs out under there during the day most of the time. I think this is due to the fact he's outgrown his original den, and he keeps another den on the right side of the tank but he usually only goes there at night. It makes me feel a little better that he is actually using most of the tank now. While he is quite large now there was a time where I thought these guys don't need a big tank at all they never move, but he has once again proved me wrong.

 

[DWhatley]

I have noticed that Cassy will come out and observe when I am cleaning the tanks or playing with one of the other octopuses in her line of site. We see this in Monty (but not at night where Cassy will watch regardless of the time of day) as well but not in Tatanka. He is getting up earlier in the evening now but still does not come out with the lights on except for yesterdays mating introduction .