Monty - Unknown (brown eyespot Caribbean)

[DWhatley]

I have not heard back from him though and the copper question has to be answered. He may have already sold it or have moved (the reason it was available) but I keep checking my email in hopes (I think) that I can pick it up. I also asked for sizing info to determine if I have to take the truck or if it will fit in my car (you would be surprised what fits ). I told Neal about what I found during my errant search and all he asked is if I also checked eBay . I was armed with ideas on where it could go (and why I wanted to keep him in the breakfast room when there is an excellent housing facility already set up and waiting for an occupant) and what would have to be moved where but we both enjoy having a diurnal in the eating area so there was no argument if I can acquire a tank very cheaply.

 

[DWhatley]

Still no response from the two tank sellers I found on Craig's list so I am assuming the tanks are no longer available .

Paul and son Jerome were kind enough to hunt up and send some tiny fiddlers and a few small blue crabs that arrived today so I decided to offer a fiddler by hand. I am not sure if the photo session was the reason or if he just decided to move but this little guy was not at home for feeding. I did locate him (he flicked an arm out at me while I was hunting for him or I never would have found him) and offered one of the tiny fiddlers between my fingers. It is hard to imagine they can more their arms that fast! He took it immediately and I barely felt the arm. I left another in the tank at his old residence. He did not show up for supper but the two crabs may have been all he wanted to eat today.

 

[Level_Head]

Sounds good. And pretty soon, you'll be in the position of Stilgar: "Needs a naming, Stil."

 

[DWhatley]

Name has been chosen but waiting for my two week security blanket time to post.

 

[DWhatley]

Monty seems to be doing well. He eats "lunch" around noon/1ish (I probably wake him up as he is in his den) and then supper about 6:30(he is usually hunting in the LR when Neal finds him). He is staying out in front of his den while we eat dinner and appears to be watching us. He reached up to touch my finger tonight (no food offering) and did not jerk away or grab but when he released he went back (slowly) into his den. I know he is older than he looks because of the pelagic stage but he seems less timid than the hatchling briareus and way less timid than the mercs at what I would guess to be the same age.

I have been curious about the orangish/red coloration he often shows and have never seen it on the other hummelincki but I reread Richard's (Thales) article in Reef Life (November/December 2009) on chierchiae and he mentions the hatchlings being quite orange and very different in coloration from the adults.

 

[tonmo]

Great name for a beautiful octopus.

 

[DWhatley]

Monty seems to be hitting a shy phase as we didn't see anything but arms taking food both at lunch and supper and he did not come out and watch us while we ate (we did eat later than normally though). Since he is taking food, I am not really concerned but I hope the spell is a short one.

 

[DWhatley]

I was almost out of food and by Monday had to get something while waiting on Wednesday's deliveries (Monty, Cassy and Tatanka still will have nothing to do with table shrimp) and anything close to local had run out of tiny $2.00 a piece blue legs (one PetCo had ONE $1.00 hermit). We ended up buying $4.00 worth of very small ghost shrimp (I have never tried this as an emergency substitute but I have never run out of food before ). Anytime we have tried offering additional food at one setting, it has been refused but everybody took seconds because these freshwater shrimp were so small. Monty ate 4 for lunch yesterday.

Food arrived today. I got more shore shrimp and some crayfish from Paul and a care package of hermits from Kara (hopefully I will find a mess of these and small crabs while in FL next week). One of the bags with 3 large hermit - in 3" shells - leaked and the hermits were conveniently out of their shells. One was dead but not rotten and about 2" stretched out. I offered it to Monty and it was eagerly accepted. He was in the cave in the picture (not a denning area) when I went looking for him and came to the front when he saw the offering. He did not move from that spot until lights out. Neal offered him a shrimp at supper and he took that too (much to my surprise). I don't think the freshwater shrimp were very satisfying. Later Neal jokingly asked him if he wanted another and got a head bob in reply

The crays are fairly small but should have as much meat as a hermit. I got them for Neal to alter with the hermits while I am away for a week since he will not be able to feed everyone twice a day (their current feeding routine). I will try offering one tonight to Cassy and Tatanka to be sure they will accept them live. They have never seen "lobster" but the small crabs I have put in their tanks have disappeared (Cassy had serious issues when she touched the sharp arm of a mithrax I was offering by hand). If they won't take them live then I will freeze two and try offering them dead but don't want to put them in and have them die uneaten in the tank.

One option I have not tried is frozen scallops and I may pick up a bag tomorrow to experiment.

The barnacles in the picture are NOT the same ones in previous photos. These are a much smaller set.

 

[Lmecher]

I see you finally made the name official, yeah!
Enjoy your time in Florida. It is so difficult to be away but you have a great man caring for your babies. I wish mine would take more of an interest. Mark does what I ask so I am not complaining. He is enjoys the octopuses but it is a superficial fascination not a deep love. I think you know what I mean.
Great photos and wonderful to hear he is eating for you.

 

[DWhatley]

I think Mark really enjoys that YOU keep them (for a couple of reasons, one being allowed to have his own hobbies , the other in that it is unusual). Fortunately, Neal does the daily feedings on all the tanks and enjoys doing new, creative buildouts but the hatchling have been my full responsibility until scheduling this trip (going to MACNA - Orlando - with Coral Restoration Foundation and staying at my sister's in Tampa). He is still having problems trying to FIND them, particularly Cassy but Monty is easy to feed.

 

[sulley]

glad to hear this d

 

[DWhatley]

First observed foray onto the outer wall

I happened by Monty's tank about 12:30 PM and saw something on the wall This is the first time we have seen him out of the live rock. He did not seem to mind me watching him (normally his is rather cautious) and his color was an unusual goldish hue (he shows dark red to dark brown when in alert mode). Photo settings for the stills don't pickup coloration well and I will have to adjust for the lighting in this tank but the video colors are very close (unfortunately the quality is much reduced from the original, choosing 480p over 360p helps but is still not as clear as the avi) .

I decided he may be hungry and offered a live crayfish. This is the first live food I have offered (other than leaving a few shrimp and hermits in the tank) and I did not have to tell him twice that lunch was server.

 

[kpage]

So you got Monty from sealifeinc? I emailed them a bit ago. Do they get octos frequently? Or is it more if they see one kind of thing?

 

[DWhatley]

LOL, I was with Kara when your email came into her IPhone. We were at MACNA and she won't be on the internet until tonight (we did not have internet in the hotel) or tomorrow (they have a long drive back, I only had an hour and a half but they have 5 hours). Currently, Sealife does not collect octopuses on a regular basis. I am working on getting her more interested in looking for them and identifying them. They do get some mercatois from some of the trappers during crab season but don't really have facilities to hold briareus. I am trying to teach her to identify hummelincki by the eye spot and arm to mantle ratio so we will see how that goes but for now it is not a source except serendipitiously and I will post on the availability thread should she get one that I don't claim

 

[kpage]

HAHAHAHAHA! really? Thats pretty funny! So you just got lucky! She really should though, since they are right there. It would be great to have a hummelincki source!