Penelope - O.Vulgaris

[CaptFish]

I just got home from lunch and found the Penny has decided she wants the sunken ship decoration, its about 9" long. Right now it is wedged into a cave that leads to Penny's den, square peg round hole. I wish I could have seen her move it. plus I think she really thought it would squeeze into her cave.

 

[DWhatley]

Where's the picture? Just because you now have a super duper new vid cam does not mean you can't take a still.

 

[CaptFish]

Oh my gosh your rights its been 4 posts since my last picture! I'll take one now.

 

[CaptFish]

If you look in the cave you can see her collection of goodies.

 

[Nancy]

It's interesting that octopuses have possessions.

As far as I can tell from observation and reading, some have possessions and others don't. There's a difference between toys they play with, which are outside the den, and "possessions", which are usually kept inside the den.

Ollie, my former bimaculoides, had a little glass bottle with sand and a shell in it, cork stopper. I'd made it for her as a toy, but she never played with it. Instead, she slept with her arm around it!

Nancy

 

[CaptFish]

She has collected all of Leg's possessions plus some new ones of her own. She also tried to take my mag-float again. as I found the outside piece on the ground and the float up against the overflow.

 

[DWhatley]

Oh my gosh your rights its been 4 posts since my last picture! I'll take one now.

... but you reported a visual event, just sayin'

That reminds me of Maya dragging the gorgonian to the front of her den, making it look like she planted a tree in the front yard.

 

[CaptFish]

I wish I had video of what just happened, but I missed it.....

Ok so I have to start this story with me just waking up this morning and hand feeding Penelope. She was feeling very friendly I guess and was feeling my hand with two of her arms, just exploring; anyway, this went on for a few minutes then she swam off to eat... So later she was back out and was at the top of glass right where we had made contact this morning. So I went over and noticed she was exploring the lid and possibly how to get out. So I slid the top open a crack just enough for me fit my hand in, which startled her slightly. Then I stuck my hand in the water and WHAM octopus attack! She leaped on my hand. AHHHHHHH! A had to try my hardest to keep my hand away from her beak, which I saw for the first time, So a sort of twisted a pulled my hand away, and right when I was getting away she started squirting me. I manged to get her off my hand using the lid to slid my hand out and leave the demon octopus in her tank, but not before she soaked me and everything within 5 feet of my tank! I'm soaked! and there is a huge puddle on my floor now. she sprayed at least a gallon of water in the 30 seconds we were battling. Now she is still sitting there displaying bright red eyes and all her texture.. EVIL!

 

[SabrinaR]

Um, I missed the bottom entry. Thats CRAZY! I hope everythings ok.


Very nice looking octo!

Very cool to know, I liked knowing straight were my octo came from by ordering with Tom. I have been looking for O.hummelincki and if Toms getting them and not knowing it then this (hopefully) will open up the market to us.

 

[DWhatley]

The major question here is, "what would she have done if you had not paniced?" The only times I have been bitten, there was no blood (or if there was it was a pin prick from a merc - never knew if the red dot was Cyclop-eeze or blood ) was trying to remove senescent males who did not want to leave my hand. I don't know what would have happened if I just let them leave when they were ready. With Wiley (merc) I did not flail my hand around but I did with OhToo. I was paniced with OhToo because he was used to handling and the attachment was unexpeced (and he was showing infection that I did not want to share) but was dieing and I wanted to put him in a net. He did not want to stay on the bottom and did not understand that I was trying to help.

 

[CaptFish]

what would she have done if you had not panicked

I am positive I would have been bitten. For the first time ever I saw the beak of an octopus and it was wide open ready to bite and she was trying to draw me closer to Her open beak, but I twisted my hand and pulled it away from her so she could not get me. I know i joke around about being bitten but this time I really thought it was going to happen.

 

[DWhatley]

Man, I wish you had gotten a video. I have seen a dark place where the beak is but never an open beak. I am surprised you were able to get her to release. OhToo literally flattened on my hand with every available sucker.

How is she acting toward you today?

 

[Nancy]

I had a theory that octopuses have a hard time telling the relationship between your face and your hand. These two parts look separate, after all.
This is what I think motivated my bimac to climb out, hang onto my husband's hand, while reaching up to touch his nose.
She seemed much more relaxed and content after that experience.
Just speculation, but worth thinking about.

Nancy

 

[CaptFish]

How is she acting toward you today?

When she sees me she puts on her full camo and texture, and sits on the glass and taunts me, She dances up and down..."Hey big fellow, I dare you stick your hand in here!"

 

[DWhatley]

I remember NOT recording Maya doing the bumble bee approach (and may be where one of the common names, bumble bee octopus, comes from) that I had never seen before (or afterwards) and thinking what a fiesty little thing she was (I still miss her). She only came after me that one time but she really looked like she was going to take on my hand.