Sepia Bandensis - First Round

[snowmaker]

That was a fun thread to read.

 

[snowmaker]

First, 2nd Generation Hatchling

Possibly premature...?
A friend local to me took 12 eggs (from the first batch laid 05/01) home on Monday 05/10. He called yesterday thinking one had hatched, but wasn't sure. He sent me a couple pictures, and is my guess he's had a premature hatch of one of the eggs. It was still moving yesterday evening. I can see why he wasn't sure as the size is so tiny. He did say it reacts to close movement though and does move around.

 

[MAKOOKAM]

Wow thats crazy looking!

I think you are right on the premature assessment.

 

[snowmaker]

Laying eggs

Caught a female laying eggs when I got home today! Clip to follow this one has clean glass... A male was very defensive to another nosey male during this.

 

[snowmaker]

Laying More Eggs

Cleaner glass this time:

 

[snowmaker]

Possessive Male

Check out a males pupils as he enters from the right. I have not see full dilation like that before this:

 

[DWhatley]

The little male in the second video did not seem to appreciate you spying (or maybe he just wanted in the video ). That is such a nice location for the eggs. Are you considering leaving some in place to photograph?

 

[DWhatley]

I also noticed that the male increased the eye size with skin coloration, making it REALLY stand out (I went back and stopped the film to see if the eye was actually dialated at all - it was). The other thing I noticed is a dialation of the female's eye when she was laying the eggs (just visible). Nancy and I both observed this with our female octopuses (note in Maya's thread in the 6:30 comment)

 

[snowmaker]

I have been unable to document yet, but have seen a female fully dilate eyes just before accepting a male to mate.
I will probably collect all of the eggs. Some are going for $ donations for my local reef club and hoping New England Aquarium will take some as well.
I do have a picture on previous page here, but would really like to catch one hatching on video.
Today, one of the males went to Biddeford (about 1/2 hr away) as a stud. My friends there have a female all alone in a 75g. She laid a bunch of eggs - useless of course. Since they gave me my eggs back in Dec. I wanted to pay them back.
They also gave me 5 Mummichog, an Eastern coast killifish for a treat for my cuttlefish. I filmed the massacre, but for some reason YouTube is taking an abnormally long time with it. I'll keep checking / trying.

 

[snowmaker]

I see... in 3rd video at 1:05 to 1:06 and at about 0:21 just as the male jets out of view.

 

[snowmaker]

Mummichog

OK, seems to be working now. I like the second capture - Perfect example of "You snooze, you lose". Then notice at 1:15 - all of the small species of isopods on the glass. I will likely siphon these off and see if babies eat them. I have since covered the breeding net to make it darker.

 

[DWhatley]

I was just thinking that where the eggs are if you could leave a couple and photograph weekly we might get to see a little of the embreo progress. The ink is an issue of course but it will thin.

 

[snowmaker]

I could try back-lighting like I did in first picture here.

Actually, that doesn't look like back lighting...

 

[Reef Geek]

Very, very awesome thread! Good work!

 

[snowmaker]

No hatch yet, but I believe it won't be long now.

Update - Yesterday I was watching the remaining 4. Two were mating. One subordinate male swam near the mating pair and was viciously attacked by the mating male. The third sub. male was hanging out under an overhang, staying out of the drama.
I noticed that I could identify individual males by their battle scaring. The dom. male had a unique scar on back mantle and the other two males had their own unique scars. The only female had no scars at all.
I decided to pull the 2 sub. males out. They are now residing in a friends frag system and to be moved to a really nice set up he's almost completed. No worries about cycling - we have our ways..
So now I only have the breeding pair in the 40 breeder set up. They are eating Sally's Krill daily. Depending on tides, I'd like to go collecting some more live foods today. They have still only produced the 2 bunches of eggs, but recently, I see them hanging around the egg laying area often.