[Octopus]: Maurice my octopus species??

[Lov80]

In the meantime I can nearly guarantee that Maurice is night-active. He was out of the caves from about 1.30 am to at least 7 am. The guy stole my sleep but I wanted to figure it out. Today I feel worn out.
In the meantime I adjusted the water temperature to about 24' C. Eventually he/she is a little bit more active bust most likely at nighttime. Still eating just every 2-3 days about half of a shrimp or even a bit less.

 

[Lov80]

Although 3.15 am I was just feeding Maurice. I put a half shrimp on a wire and put it not far from him and out of a sudden he took it. He also flighted over the wire with me but I had to put the wire out of the tank. I was surprised how strong Maurice was. Kind of strange: Although Octos are usually in the ocean but rather take the food personly from 'the owner'. Last time Maurice rather skipped having dinner if I didn't give it directly to him!

 

[sedna]

I’ve noticed that mine will get “lazy” once they are used to being stick fed, too! It makes it easier for the clean up crew to stop getting harassed, though!

 

[Lov80]

Hiding in a tube in the early morning!
It's still my goal to get better photos.

 

[Lov80]

Another photo just a few minutes later:

 

[Lov80]

The photos are slowly improving!

 

[DWhatley]

Is his/her color often that white even without bright lighting?

 

[Lov80]

I would say that Maurice is light-grey - except of the side of the sucker-cups.
How come do you ask this? May this have a meaning except of the species?

 

[DWhatley]

It would be an odd color for any of the Abdopus complex but there are other animals that a commonly white in a non-sleeping, non-senescent state (O. briareus from the Caribbean is on I know but there are quite likely others). The mention of gray, does worry me that Maurice may be in senescence but if he is eating and active, perhaps not.

 

[Lov80]

I need to mention that my inquiry about the Octopus species with De Jong Marinelife, Holland was about a month before I got Maurice and back then I was told that the origin was Indonesia /Bali. Maybe this one comes from somewhere else!?

 

[DWhatley]

It is possible but the most common, world wide pet import is from that region. We are aware of over 300 species of octopus and know that we have many more to name, some with minor differences to the already named animals so keeping one healthy is always a little bit of a guess. Keeping their tanks free of ammonia and nitrite, getting the temperature, PH and salinity close to their native environment is our best guess.

 

[Lov80]

How would you recognize and identify a carribean reef octopus in comparison to the (abdopus) aculeatus kind/s?

 

[DWhatley]

Tough question to answer. Logistically, very few octopuses are exported live from the US but there are a few businesses in the Gulf that will send aquarium animals to the US. We don't see Western Hemisphere animals imported to Europe (that does not mean it does not happen, we just have not seen it on the site).

Physically, it is harder to describe but usually easy to identify. Most senescent animals will lose their ability to color and all animals can display white but O. briareus has a very white relaxed color with the ability to show a peachy brown over its mantle and arms (I don't recall seeing anything but white on its extensive webbing). Abdopus have a natural tan (not a color briareus displays) with dark brown patches. The webbing is tan and not as extensive as briareus. Briareus also have a very distinct speckled green florescence, absent on Abdopus but there are other animals that have it (some photos suggest a hint of it on Abdopus aculeaus). O. briareus has very little ability to raise bumps on its skin where most other octopuses can change the smoothness with significant exaggeration to look more like their surroundings.

If you visit the Photos/Videos above, you can search both names to see animals that have been identified.

 

[Lov80]

Octopuses briareus may rather be imported from places such as Cuba, Dominican Republic etc. than from the USA. In fact I have heard that De Jong Marinlife even has an establishment somewhere is this area.
Its really hard to tell. However Maurice has such a speckled green florescence webbing but eventually not in such an 'intensive' color. The ability to quickly adapt the color to the surrounding may further show that Maurice is maybe rather from the aculeatus kind/s from Indosesia. Just guessing! If I look at him without a bright lamp he is maybe in between grey and light grey.

 

[DWhatley]

If he can color change to anything other than orangey (peachy) brown to white, ie NOT tan, then not O. briareus but there are lots of other choices . Good to know that there is live marine animal trade from this hemisphere. We still don't have friendly relations with Cuba so very little information comes to the general public. I know we do trade marine life with Haiti (hopefully business has started to resume after the major earthquake several years ago that unsettled everything) but am unsure about the other half of the island.