Can anyone id this animal? :)

Joined
Dec 30, 2012
Messages
7
Hey members of tonmo, any idea of the species of this octo? It was sold as a pacific red but something tells me the guy wasn't 100%sure on that thanks to anyone willing to help, joey!
 

Attachments

  • conv_305422.jpg
    conv_305422.jpg
    2.7 MB · Views: 156
  • conv_305423.jpg
    conv_305423.jpg
    2.4 MB · Views: 158
Welcome to the box of chocolates world of octopuses :biggrin2:. It is very rare for a vendor to have a clue on species so you can't be too hard on your seller if the animal is from a wholesaler (who usually provides no useful information). The biggest problem with this is proper housing. There are two Pacific's. The US Pacific, which will be a cold water species (at least until you get as far south as Mexixo) and the Indonesian Pacific which will be warm.

Pacific Red would suggest one of two species. One is a Giant Pacific Octopus that can't be kept at home, the other O. rubescens, a nicely sized aquarium animal. Both need a chiller with a tank temperature below 65 degrees.

The warm water "red octopuses" will most likely be an animal in the Macropus complex. The one we most often see is relatively small (considered medium, ie not a dwarf) and is very nocturnal but a nice aquarium animal. The warm water species need a tank temperature of aroung 78 degrees (lethal to a cold water species).

I've not kept the cold water animals so can't help much but Google the names I have given and see what look closest as a starting point (for the warm water animals, google: macropus site:tonmo.com but we have few pictures of the cold water animals. The two I have kept can be found as Puddles and Beldar). Unfortunately, this may be none of the above. I would definitely start with trying to get the vendor to inquire with the wholesaler as to the body of water of origination. Explain that the animal will die if the proper tank temperature cannot be established. Do NOT accept the temperature the LSF will tell you it has been kept in as a safe temperature.

To me, the arms look too long and the skin is more opaque for O. rubescens. It has the general look is of an adult Macropus (the large eyes and arm length compared to the body) but I have no confidence in the guess and the animal looks a bit large for the Indonesian Macropuses we typically see. A measurement of the mantle and arms would be a little help.

More pictures may be helpful.
 
Upvote 0
Thank you very much the info you gave is greatly appreciated here are a few more pictures of this particular octopus i hope they can help
 

Attachments

  • conv_300621.jpg
    conv_300621.jpg
    2.3 MB · Views: 200
  • conv_300622.jpg
    conv_300622.jpg
    2.5 MB · Views: 138
  • conv_300623.jpg
    conv_300623.jpg
    1.5 MB · Views: 182
  • conv_300624.jpg
    conv_300624.jpg
    1.6 MB · Views: 168
Upvote 0
DWhatley;195374 said:
Still thinking Indonesian Macropus complex but the grey color is a bad sign and I believe it will not live long. Here is a link to Puddles end of life entries, I think you will see the similarity.

Oh DWhatley again i appreciate the help i sure hope he doesit kick the bucket this soon, but i belive the pail color was just from the acclimation durrig the pictures i do have a video of when my octo was out and about in my display tank and his dark colors were there, id post it but its too big of a file for the website plus i was a little excited and used some innaproprate language durring the making of the video..
 
Upvote 0
We can't upload locally but you can remove the sound and upload to YouTube :sagrin:. I try to video the tanks with the sound off :biggrin2: (was a definite advantage when mating my briareus) but my camera seems to have forgotten how to obey the setting now so I usually just remove the sound before I upload with a free editor. If you don't want to post it so it is viewable by everyone, YouTube provides a quasi-private link that permits only people possessing the URL to view (ie it is not searchable). YouTube has an editor you can use after you upload. I am not sure if it will remove the sound though (I know it will let you crop). Other free/paid video streaming sites also work but YouTube is the simplest to use with the VBulletin software we use for TONMO.

If you new fella is what I suspect (not sold on my ID but don't have a better guess), then watch for it to be out in the daylight and hanging out on the wall with the lights on. I observed this with both of mine at the end of their lives. I believe it is a full adult but age is difficult to guess. The grey is just not a good sign, however the other coloration you show looks healthier, but not convincing.
 
Upvote 0
DWhatley;195380 said:
We can't upload locally but you can remove the sound and upload to YouTube :sagrin:. I try to video the tanks with the sound off :biggrin2: (was a definite advantage when mating my briareus) but my camera seems to have forgotten how to obey the setting now so I usually just remove the sound before I upload with a free editor. If you don't want to post it so it is viewable by everyone, YouTube provides a quasi-private link that permits only people possessing the URL to view (ie it is not searchable). YouTube has an editor you can use after you upload. I am not sure if it will remove the sound though (I know it will let you crop). Other free/paid video streaming sites also work but YouTube is the simplest to use with the VBulletin software we use for TONMO.

If you new fella is what I suspect (not sold on my ID but don't have a better guess), then watch for it to be out in the daylight and hanging out on the wall with the lights on. I observed this with both of mine at the end of their lives. I believe it is a full adult but age is difficult to guess. The grey is just not a good sign, however the other coloration you show looks healthier, but not convincing.

Thats a good idea actually (the youtube one) im gonna have to do that soon ill post the url on the site if you would like to take a look i do agree with you in him being full size but i would like to give him a good rest of his life in my 50 gal he was in a 10 at the lsf with ONE rock to hide under ahahaha:tongue:
 
Upvote 0
Once you have it on YouTube, click the little film icon in the editor and past the actual URL link (not the embedd or share code) in the popup. The software for our forum will automagically embed the video and all is good :wink:. I hope I am wrong as these (assuming I have guessed correctly) are really sweet gentle nocturnals. If you are seeing it out during the day (particularly out and on the glass), then be prepared for a very short time with it. If it is out at night, eating well and choses a den, then you should have more time than I fear.
 
Upvote 0
DWhatley;195403 said:
Once you have it on YouTube, click the little film icon in the editor and past the actual URL link (not the embedd or share code) in the popup. The software for our forum will automagically embed the video and all is good :wink:. I hope I am wrong as these (assuming I have guessed correctly) are really sweet gentle nocturnals. If you are seeing it out during the day (particularly out and on the glass), then be prepared for a very short time with it. If it is out at night, eating well and choses a den, then you should have more time than I fear.

Hes DEFFINATLY not out durrig the day but hes out now with my moon leds now ahaha he is an awesome little guy but havent seen him eat just yet! Just gotta find his favorite food
 

Attachments

  • conv_300625.jpg
    conv_300625.jpg
    1,006.6 KB · Views: 122
Upvote 0
I hate to be too discouraging but not eating is a definite sign of senescence. If you can source a couple (don't buy a lot, this is a test and they will be too expensive from a pet store to use for regular food) of fiddler crabs, they have been a universal food for any octos that we keep. If he eats them, they are much cheaper on-line (Paul Sachs is an often used supplier with an excellent reputation and they ship well in the colder weather).
 
Upvote 0
DWhatley;195406 said:
I hate to be too discouraging but not eating is a definite sign of senescence. If you can source a couple (don't buy a lot, this is a test and they will be too expensive from a pet store to use for regular food) of fiddler crabs, they have been a universal food for any octos that we keep. If he eats them, they are much cheaper on-line (Paul Sachs is an often used supplier with an excellent reputation and they ship well in the colder weather).

Areint fiddlers freshwater?
 
Upvote 0
Fiddlers are more or less land animals found in saltwater environments (ie they are not found around freshwater lakes) so I am not sure how to classify them. I keep mine in full salt with a way to climb out to breath but I have kept them for months in a full saltwater aquarium where they can climb to the surface to breath but don't provide anything for them to climb on (I have also read, but don't know how valid it is, that they can breath in the water and that they go out to deep water to lay their eggs. Anyone with better info, please chime in). People do keep them in sand with a bowl of fresh water. As far as feeding goes, they are considered appropriate food and seem to be universally accepted as are any crabs of this nature.
 
Upvote 0
DWhatley;195415 said:
Fiddlers are more or less land animals found in saltwater environments (ie they are not found around freshwater lakes) so I am not sure how to classify them. I keep mine in full salt with a way to climb out to breath but I have kept them for months in a full saltwater aquarium where they can climb to the surface to breath but don't provide anything for them to climb on (I have also read, but don't know how valid it is, that they can breath in the water and that they go out to deep water to lay their eggs. Anyone with better info, please chime in). People do keep them in sand with a bowl of fresh water. As far as feeding goes, they are considered appropriate food and seem to be universally accepted as are any crabs of this nature.

Oh thats awesome i really never got into thos kind of crabs we keep them in fresh at one of the fish stores i work at they always had then freah so maybe ill take a few and try to put them into my tank!
 
Upvote 0

Shop Amazon

Shop Amazon
Shop Amazon; support TONMO!
Shop Amazon
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Back
Top