Octopus bimaculoides hatchling videos

[000generic]

Hi Tonmo,

I'm following up on my earlier posting of images of embryos from Tupactopus, an Octopus bimaculoides mom that we got in the lab this summer here at UC Berkeley. The embryos have since hatched and we are maintaining eight of them with the goal of performing a cross when they become sexually mature. I recently got an Olympus TG-1, which is an underwater point and shoot camera - and it is awesome. Using it, I've started shooting videos of the hatchlings and am now posting the videos on Vimeo at

Cephalopod videos on Vimeo

I'm still learning how to use the camera and how to shoot video but things should improve with time. I'm also learning how to raise Octopus from eggs as I go. So far, we've lost one hatchling that crawled out of a bowl. Also, initially all the hatchling were raised together and seemed to do great. But we later found there was some aggressive behavior going on between individuals (captured in one of the videos), including the loss of arm tips on a few animals. So we now have each one living in its own $2 laundry bag from Target. The laundry bags work great for allowing water flow and keeping hatchling and amphipods in. Eventually we want to replace the bags with with mesh insect containers, as they include one face of clear plastic that will allow us to look in on the animals. Finally, its been nearly a month since the embryos hatched and Tucpactopus is still going strong, though she is much smaller and weaker than when all this started in early August.

Comments and suggestions are welcome!

Hope you enjoy the videos.
Eric

 

[DWhatley]

How are you keeping the laundry bags open (photo?)? I like the idea of using them in a sump but would worry that they would collapse.

Here is a link to your original thread for TONMOers that want to follow along

 

[000generic]

The bags actually float, so we add a ceramic bowl and rocks + plumbing joints. Carrots are also added to feed the amphipods. Here's a photo before the amphipods and carrots.

 

[DWhatley]

Interesting idea and great for a short term solution but I wonder how long they will stay usable without something to keep them spread.

Why carrots? Do they provide a specific benefit or just a veggie that will hold up without polluting the water.

 

[000generic]

The amphipods love the carrots and they hold up really well in sea water.

The hatchlings are still tiny, so the bowls provide a fair amount of space for the moment. They were in 10 inch flat bottom glass bowls that spread the bags out nicely. But we were testing small ceramic bowls for observation today and decided to use them in the bags over the weekend. The hatchlings also seem to like dark coffee cups a lot. Waiting on a shipment of insect observation cages (a suggestion from the Caldwell lab) that will give them more flat space and great water flow, plus let them look out / let us look in.

http://www.bioquip.com/html/view_prodpics.asp?CatalogNum=1466A&P=3

 

[DWhatley]

I experimented with some butterfly nets but these are far better if the zippers don't become a problem and the wire does not rust (the wire in the butterfly nets was not usable for saltwater).

 

[000generic]

Initially, when the embryos first hatched, we sewed two 12x12x15 houses using stiff nylon mesh and sealed the door with velcro which worked great. Not sure how long until the zippers start to rust on the laundry bags but the plan is to swap them out for velcro. Can do the same for the observation cages, if needed. Also, it should be easy to swap out the wire for a plastic I would think.

 

[DWhatley]

I was thinking more about trying to get into the containers with the critter inside more than a problem with the zippers holding up. The laundry bags likely have aluminum zippers (maybe?) as with my media bags. I was concerned about the media bags but they have lasted for 3-4 years now with absolutely no rust problems (including the pulls) so a lot will depend upon the composition of the zippers. Velcro tends to get crusty and rot unless you can find the all plastic kind but attaching it would be tricky. Be sure you note any problems (or the total lack of them) as separation containers are always an interest when we have hatchlings.

One thing I want to try is placing one or a pair into a filter sock that receives overflow from the main aquarium. We designed and set up a multi-sock device for one tank but the eggs never hatched and I have not had the opportunity to try it again. The idea came from the survival and excellent growth of one of my O. briareus hatchlings several years ago. I am not sure how long she was in the sock (potentially 2 weeks) but she out grew the others and was one of two that survived and lived a normal life span.