Hummelinki

[bluespotocto]

Now that i have an empty tank i want to get an hummelinki. I know it might be a little late in the year to get one, but could i talk to tom and cramer about maybe trying to get one? Also i have sent 3 emails to Reef Scavengers about when they might get another octo in. They havent sent one back. Do they usually reply to questions?

I am also curious about the size of these guys. People say they are about the same as a bimac. Is that true. How big do they get when they are full grown? They are diurnal right?

Thanks

 

[DWhatley]

I have seen them referred to as the Caribbean two spot and bumble bee octopus in addition to bimac and now Maya but never as hummelincki or filosus (name was changed from this to hummelincki). Unfortunately neither Tom nor Dana are aware of hummelincki (or filosus). Tom admits to not really being able to identify the octos . I have seen exactly 1 in the water snorkeling on the French side of St. Maartin and it is the only octo I have seen in situ (but I don't get out much ). When I asked Tom about getting me one after Octane died he said he has never seen one. I take this to mean that they are not often found in lobster or crab traps (this seems to be a trick of briareus but my first octo - mercatoris - was found in a crab trap). The collector that found both OhToo and Octane had no clue what they were (but did realize OhToo was another Octane). He has not seen another since OhToo (or it would be in one of my tanks ).

Size is somewhat of a mystery. Serendipity was the size of a dwarf when she brooded and Octane was larger than any of the others being kept at the time. reviewing both of them in the critter keeper, Maya is currently about twice the size of Serendipity. I failed to measure any of them at death but Jana and Garrett measured OhToo after preservation:

Good arm- 9.25 inches (23.876 cm)
Head circumference (very back of head)- 4.5 inches (11.43cm)
Infected eye circumference- 2.25 inches (5.715cm)
Suckerless arm-2.75 inches (6.985cm)

I have not kept a bimac but believe they are both shorter armed (Octane could stretch a single arm a full 18 inches) and smaller bodied.

 

[kpage]

Yes I tried sending some emails to reefscavengers about when they were going to get more in stock, but I never got a reply either. Though I believe tommycs bought a hummelincki from reefscavengers- read his "fletcher" journal!

 

[bluespotocto]

Does any one know how often Reef Scavengers get blue spot octo in?

 

[DWhatley]

Watch for new entries in the octopus availability thread located in the Sources for Cephalopods and Food forum.

 

[bluespotocto]

I see that salt water fish have an octo for sale. They have a pic of what looks like a linki. What species do they usually get?

 

[Animal Mother]

I see that salt water fish have an octo for sale. They have a pic of what looks like a linki. What species do they usually get?

Hummelincki, but they are notorious for dying about 2 weeks after receiving them.

 

[bluespotocto]

So i just purchased the octopus from saltwaterfish.com. I taking my chances and what other people have said that it is an hummelinki. They have a 15 day guarantee that it stays alive. So if it doesn't i can hopefully get my money back or maybe another one. If it does pass i will ask them how there collectors collect. Well hopefully he/she will be here 2morrow. Oya the description is a briause(how ever you spell that) if it is would any one be interested in taking my tank will not fit its needs.

 

[Animal Mother]

So i just purchased the octopus from saltwaterfish.com. I taking my chances and what other people have said that it is an hummelinki. They have a 15 day guarantee that it stays alive. So if it doesn't i can hopefully get my money back or maybe another one. If it does pass i will ask them how there collectors collect. Well hopefully he/she will be here 2morrow. Oya the description is a briause(how ever you spell that) if it is would any one be interested in taking my tank will not fit its needs.

They don't give refunds. They keep your money and give you store credit. The owner actually posted here once or twice, said the octos they get aren't deliberate, just show up in orders from Haiti. They have no control or no idea of what collection methods the collectors use.

Good luck, I hope you get a healthy one.

 

[Lmecher]

Hi bluespotocto, I am keeping my fingers crossed that your new ocotpus arrives healthy, I will be following your journal. I am not suprised to hear the octopus issues with Saltwaterfish.com

Several months ago I noticed they were offering dyed sebae anemones, bright pink, green and yellow. I contacted them (on their public message board) and told them I, along with many others have lost a little respect for them for supporting this inhumane practice. (it gave the appearance that they supported it) I got the same answer. They came in with an order. They said they were selling them only because it would be less stressful on the anemones than sending them back. I can understand thier point but they were selling them for an inflated price compared to their healthy colored sebaes. (I got alot of negative posting aimed at me from loyal SWF people. That really suprised me, I had to assume they were not familiar with this horrible practice.) SWF pulled the dyed sebaes from the website the same day. I frequent the SWF anemone/clownfish forum and the anemones they sell usually arrive bleached and many, too many die in the first weeks or months. They need to get it together there, maybe they need new suppliers but their track record is pretty bad.

 

[bluespotocto]

Do you think it is possible for Tom at toms Caribbean to go get a hummelini or does he just stick with briusase(still dont know how to spell that)? Do you think he would do that? I think Reef Scavengers is going to stop getting octos because they took off there things to get in invertebrates. If that is so then i just have to get a healthy one from saltwaterfish.com.

 

[DWhatley]

I have mentioned the Caribbean Two-Spot octopus to Tom and he says he has never seen one. Interestingly, it appears that hummelincki do not raid the lobster and crab traps (Tom's main source for briareus is from trappers so in effect, buying one from him extends their lives - trappers hate them). Since I only know him as a customer with a mutual association, I don't know if he would think to email me if an odd on showed up or if he would even notice.

Dana does some of his own collecting, something akin to tide pool hunting but I don't know if he also finds them out diving. He might be the better one to ask but I have never seen him offer anything other than mercatoris(joubini) or briareus.

My two males were accidental Key finds and not close to shore (likely around 30 food depth). They were captured specifically for me by the collector and he has not seen another in over a year. My little female (Serendipity) was bycatch from Ken's live rock farm (three miles off shore and about 30' of water). The one I saw in the wild while snorkeling from shore was crawling along the sand in between 10 and 15 foot of water in St. Maartin. I think most of the hummelincki's showing up are from collectors further west and/or south, likely Hati (which has a substatial aquarium fish trade with the US).

 

[CaptFish]

I noticed a "TomsCarribean" as one of TONMO's newest members perhaps he will join the discussion.