Well, I disagree with the keeping of wild cephs in aquariums, but I tend not to rant and rave.
Too much.
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Thank you for not ranting, that's just the kind of civility I was advocating.
I think that in my case, keeping an octopus will have a net positive effect on the local population. I used to happily bag octopus when I was out lobster diving, and they ended up on a plate
. Now, after having kept a local octopus at home and observed it long term, Iwon't be eating any more of them.
I've also read that unlike tropical reefs, which have limited nutrient input, temperate west coast intertidal ecosystems are limited by the availability of space, and vacancies are quickly filled. The idea is that, up to a certain point (huge commercial fishing pressure for example), removing an octopus from the system simply makes room for another one to take its place, and has no effect on the population.
Unregulated collection of cephs (or anything) for the commercial pet trade makes me uneasy, but I support well regulated collection, and self-collection, of abundant species for home aquariums.
Oh, and I'm planning to keep a manatee in my bath tub, can anyone tell me what they eat?