Since I am seeing some parallel behavior, I will continue to post here for growth observations and thoughts. This week both octopuses started coming out on the wall clear of their live rock when the lights are turned off and it is about 11:00 PM.
Within a day or two of each other the "twins" seem to have become aware of things breaking the surface. At first we noticed Tatanka grabbing for the feeding stick at the water line and assumed it was Neal's fingers that attracted him but his next similar feeding and similar action by Cassy make us think they are newly detecting the water breaking at the surface.
Tonight, Neal kept Cassy's shrimp at the surface and she climbed up the back wall to attack it (she has been coming out further from the live rock all week). She considered taking his fingers along with the shrimp (held in different arms) but decided the shrimp was large enough for dinner after several pulls. We expected that eyesight might have improved for this distance but the arms still waved only in the general area of the food until there was contact (arm outstretched about 8 inches). This is the first time we have seen her near the surface (there is a 2" glass plate in the back at the water level in this tank, originally to support lights, and she was suspended from it hanging upside down).
We tried something similar with Tank (his aquarium is deeper) and he stretched his arm out at least a foot but decided the food was not what he was looking for when he touched it with the tip of an arm. He seems to have better eyesight or detects the surface break better as his arm was well position and did not flail in the water column. It may also be that my thought that they are very farsighted comes into play because the surface was further away. When the shrimp was offered on the feeding stick and placed close to the mouth, it was accepted.
Within a day or two of each other the "twins" seem to have become aware of things breaking the surface. At first we noticed Tatanka grabbing for the feeding stick at the water line and assumed it was Neal's fingers that attracted him but his next similar feeding and similar action by Cassy make us think they are newly detecting the water breaking at the surface.
Tonight, Neal kept Cassy's shrimp at the surface and she climbed up the back wall to attack it (she has been coming out further from the live rock all week). She considered taking his fingers along with the shrimp (held in different arms) but decided the shrimp was large enough for dinner after several pulls. We expected that eyesight might have improved for this distance but the arms still waved only in the general area of the food until there was contact (arm outstretched about 8 inches). This is the first time we have seen her near the surface (there is a 2" glass plate in the back at the water level in this tank, originally to support lights, and she was suspended from it hanging upside down).
We tried something similar with Tank (his aquarium is deeper) and he stretched his arm out at least a foot but decided the food was not what he was looking for when he touched it with the tip of an arm. He seems to have better eyesight or detects the surface break better as his arm was well position and did not flail in the water column. It may also be that my thought that they are very farsighted comes into play because the surface was further away. When the shrimp was offered on the feeding stick and placed close to the mouth, it was accepted.