ID my new friend?

sedna

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So the guys at the LFS said this octo came from the same place as my last 3 aculeatus, but they couldn't be more specific than that. It's not very big, the mantle is about 2 inches, the arms are long and spindley but all together it could sit in the palm of my hand. It looks a lot like the picture on p. 138 of Nancy and Colin's book. Any takers?
 

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Not positive where it came from, just "the same area that the aculeatus came from- near the Phillipenes" is the best they could tell me. Looks like the pictures on pp. 87 and 138 in Nancy and Colin's book. They said that they have seen it eat crayfish, in the open during the day. It isn't much bigger that a crayfish itself. Do macropus get large?
 
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I am going Bocki - look for some black spots on the underside of the body. Unfortunately, if I am correct, it is an adult. Look or enlarged suckers for a male. Females lay small eggs.

I will guess further since I have no reputation to defend and suggest it is female (from the fullness of the mantle) and that you will likely need to keep the hatchers accessable for another small egged trial.:goofysca:
 
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Cool, so it's either a giant dwarf or a tiny giant. I'll throw in some jumbo shrimp and we'll call it oxymoron stew! Anyway, this bad boy was out last light- very friendly after 11pm. Can't list any more color distinctions because I was viewing under red lights. It was still out this morning at 8, but went to bed 1/2 hour later. The front two arms are stupid long compared to the rest of it, it just seem "daintier" than the aculeatus I've had. It doesn't look grown into it's suckers or something... it moves like an awkward teen- ager!
 
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Sedna,
If he is out this week, get a tape measure (we already know you have the typical female's perspective of size :sly:) and see if you can get a measurement of the arms and the mantle. The current length (possibly eliminating some dwarf species) and proportions may help ID Thing 2.
 
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I have never seen O. bocki with such large white spots on the arms (Octopus bocki). As for the size if it is in the macropus species complex, O. macropus sensu stricto gets very large, but there are quite of few smaller examples, and several undescribed species in this species complex. O. luteus is in the macropus species complex, so I think Animal Mother is onto something there. O. luteus is a smaller species whose spotting pattern on the arm roughly match yours.
 
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From your photo group, the arms appear far to short proportionatly for Thing 2 to be bocki. Is there a macropus that shows the blue green iridescence (note the eyes and Sedna's note that says the spots also show this highlighting).

I found this O. luteus photo that would suggest a better arm match and has tons of iridescence.
 
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I'll buy that for a dollar! This dude may be very nocturnal, but it stays up until 8:30 am, which means that for the duration of this animal's life my kids will be late to school...

It spent a good half hour with me this morning, and with more ambient light I could get a better look. NO black spots anywhere on this guy. The front arms look so long proportionally to the rest of the arms and body that I looked really hard to make sure the rest aren't growing back from injuries. Unless ALL 6 of the other arms were lost at the same time, it just has really long front arms (Mike Phelps!). It's webbing is not terribly extensive, like the aculeatus I'm used to.

I had the boy at the LFS measure the mantle at the store while it was in the critter keeper, he got 2 inches. I'll try to measure the arms to get some proportions.

My copy of "Norman's" is on it's way. D, I'm not waiting for it as a gift from John, the man got me a TOASTER for Christmas! He even saw the warning video. Hence, 2 new octos and a good book in late January!
 
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This looks just like the octo that I'm trying to get ID'd for myself. Mine's nocturnal but is out in the mornings as well. Does yours sometimes turn that same iridescent blue that you described as the spots? I got mine about two months ago and he's growing quickly, I don't think he's a dwarf. He's getting pretty big. What size tank is yours in?
 
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