Rescued an octopus from an Asian Food Market today

[davelin315]

Stopped into an Asian Food Market today and was saddened to see a bunch of octopuses in a tank, all dead with the exception of this one and possibly another one, but this one was moving around and looking very sad to be in there... it's different than buying a "don't encourage them" type of thing from a local fish store, as this is a food source and they're going to bring them in regardless... anyway, I couldn't help myself. It's currently in a 10 gallon tank as that's the best I could throw together with cold water and an ice probe to keep it cool until I figure out what it is (tank is woefully small for it, it's arms stretch across the tank and can curl up the wall while it's in the corner). My guess is that it's from the West Coast as it was in with abalone and I think that they are collected in California waters, but no idea. Here are some pictures that I sent to the National Zoo to get an ID from a friend there in the Invert House. The ones where it's just sitting there are from when the lights were on, the ones where it's stretched out are from when it was dark and I turned on the lights.

 

[DWhatley]

The most universally accepted food has been fiddler crabs and crayfish. I suspect it is partially because they have thin shells. The fiddlers will live quite awhile in the tank uneaten but crayfish are FW and will need to be monitored (I have one unaccounted for in Puddles tank ).

 

[Joe-Ceph]

If it hasn't already been mentioned, when you offer thawed pieces of shrimp or scallop, try using a long skewer (I use bamboo) so that you can make the food move, and look alive.

I think I read that this species (if we have it right) lives in burrows in mud flats. I wonder if they primarily eat clams in the wild? I know you have muscles in there, but it might be worth trying some small clams too, and I suggest using a thin blade to cut just the muscle(s) holding the shell closed, to make it easy for them.

 

[davelin315]

I was thinking that as one of them started to burrow a little bit today (obviously not the one in the critter cage!). I was going to head to the store to grab a bag of small clams as the last time I went there were only larger ones.

On a side note, last time around I had 2 females, this time I have a male and a female and I'm contemplating letting the male out as this morning when they were active the female went and sat on top of the critter carrier and their tentacles were touching but there was no aggression as there was when I had the two females together in the tank. Also, all of the pictures I have seen of these together in stores suggest that at a minimum in large numbers they don't show too much aggression when they are uncomfortable so I wonder if they are very territorial towards opposite gender in the wild. I may put them together as they can certainly see each other right now.

 

[davelin315]

Just got back with some little neck clams and instead of slicing the muscle I cracked the lip of the shell. I figure it can survive that way and if the octopuses are hungry they can get into the shell and start eating or prying it apart. I only did this to 2 of them. I also did the same with a mussel for each of them.

On another note, the female has buried herself beneath a rock in the tank. I can just barely see the edge of her mantle beneath the rock.

 

[OB]

That's 4 days worth of survival, so far, add feeding, and...

 

[davelin315]

That's 4 days worth of survival, so far, add feeding, and...

I just wish these were doing as well as the last ones were before my ill advised move and temperature shock. Those I could tell right off the bat were better off due to the inking in the bag. They also began eating right away. These still aren't eating. One thing is for sure, though, they look a little bit better each day as far as awareness and responsiveness, as well as the way they carry themselves, so I'm hopeful that since they can starve themselves for so long when they are brooding their eggs that they are just getting healthier and better adjusted before taking on feeding again.

In addition to the clams, I also bought scallop and some whole head on shrimp so I'm going to see if that makes a difference in the morning. Hopefully, though, they will have eaten the clam or the mussel by morning. Still debating on whether to free the male or not - I figure it's not so easy to get one back into the cage if they don't get along, although it very well may retreat there as a "den".

 

[Lmecher]

Keeping my

 

[L8 2 RISE]

The female may be brooding. What do you all think about the male still being able to fertilize the female through the critter keeper? Either way, the female could easily have been fertilized in the wild and kept it until now. Another thing I was thinking was that maybe they don't want to eat because there's another octopus nearby. Maybe they feel threatened or something, I don't know. I can't think why else they wouldn't be eating. Maybe I missed it, but have you tried live food? Fish or Crustaceans?

 

[davelin315]

Live crabs, snails, mussels, and clams. I don't have any crayfish and I have no saltwater fish that I'm willing to stick in there. I have the one single rosie left over from last time around, but I don't necessarily want to feed that to them as it's freshwater.

I can't imagine the female would brood that quickly under such stressful conditions, do you?

Also, as far as the other one being present, the last two ate with the other one present, although you might have a good point. Come over and take one of them home with you tonight!

 

[DWhatley]

Come over and take one of them home with you tonight!

 

[L8 2 RISE]

My thought is, if she's fertilized and has eggs, and thinks she's going to die or something, maybe she's trying to save the eggs in case she does pass. Kind of like a plate coral- if you turn it over, eventually it will release spores in the hopes of a future. Just an option a viable option that I think is a possibility...

I have a spare tank in my system right now... the only problem is that it's warm water and I don't have a chiller. I would if I could .

 

[davelin315]

The male bit off an arm last night, hopefully this is not a harbinger of bad things to come. I haven't seen the female except for some arms coming out from beneath rocks and she still has not to my knowledge eaten anything, and neither has the male. I haven't had a chance to check on them since this morning and I'm hoping that there's not more going on with that.

 

[DWhatley]

Unfortunately, the only times (twice) I have see this happen was just before death. Once with an octopus that was out of the water too long and the skin was showing white spots and once with a dieing post brood female.

 

[davelin315]

Very accurate prediction... it was dead when I came home today (more or less). It amazes me how long the arms will still move when the octopus is clearly dead. It's eyes were bulged out and the mantle was completely loose, but the arms were still writhing a bit when touched and the colors still changed when touched. The octopus had turned completely white and was almost completely limp. The gill slits and the siphons weren't moving at all.

This was the male in the critter cage and I wonder if the stress of being caged up in such a small container did him in. Last night when I opened up the top to the cage he didn't want to come out, either.

Because of his condition, I decided I would check out the female who was completely beneath a rock. I picked the rock up and she is still very responsive, good color, arms all intact, but I'm not seeing her pupils react the way I think they should. Not a lot of confidence again here with her forecast. Despite this, however, she is exhibiting a lot of signs of wanting to hide, which is good for an octopus I suppose. In order to escape me at one point she burrowed beneath a rock and came out on the other side and when she feels bothered she buries herself beneath the rocks as much as she can.

 

[davelin315]

Well, the female is still alive and appears to be OK, but it's still not eating. She is hiding all of the time and assumed what I am thinking is a fairly normal position tonight where her arms were surrounding her body but the suckers were facing out (I've seen pictures of "healthy" octopuses like this). She has good coloration and is responsive to stimuli, turning white as a sheet when I poked at her and then turning a dark color out of anger. Her arms are still what I would consider curled at the ends but not corkscrewed. She has not, as previously mentioned, eaten yet, though, so it's now going on 10 days that she has not eaten. I am definitely worried as she appears to be uninterested in any food as I keep on offering her different things to eat and there is zero interest, not even examining the food, live or dead.