[Octopus]: Shiitake - O. briareus

Shiitake has been more of an individual than all the other briareus combined. It does appear we are starting a new nightly feeding routine with my hand the target and a trip to the lid as part of the game. Tonight she accepted the shrimp and then pounced. Since the shrimp was over her beak, I was more inclined to continue contact while she was on the lid. She played with my fingers less aggressively and opted to go back in her tank without much assistance. I reached in to remove last night's crab shell and, like last night when I retrieved her supper, she ignored my hand. She spent more time out on the glass tonight and Neal got to see her (for a change) on his way to work.
 
I missed the best web display but did get the camera out fast enough to catch a couple of less than stellar pictures when Shiitake decided to come out for her now nightly early appearance. This seems to be associated with feeding the crab in her sump (an experiment not quite going as planned) as some of the dried food is sucked up in the pump and blown into the display tank. I can't get her to take supper at this time but she is staying our a little more each week.

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I have often thought Shiitake should have been named Cattywampus because of the crazy way she holds her arms when she is on the glass (and in her den but it is harder to detect behind the rocks). I took a chance with a flash tonight to capture her weird positioning and hope I have not just undone her beginning to allow us to see more of her attitude. Note this is her normal posturing, she rarely sits on the glass in a typical fashion and she crosses her arm at odd angles even when she walks on the glass.
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She CAN look normal ________________________ Then again she may be part monkey
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I have been remiss in posting. Shiitake started brooding infertile eggs a little over a month ago. She seemed to eat up until this week (I offered crab claws and would find them empty with the pinchers separated). Last night I saw her wandering behind the live rock so I knew the brood had ended. Tonight she is breathing heavily, has trouble orienting, is keeping her eyes closed and clearly will not survive another day. She was not one of my more interactive animals but I will miss her.

Edit: As expected, she did not survive until morning.

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I kept the dwarf, O. mercatoris, for a couple of years before setting up a tank for a larger animal. I still enjoy keeping them in addition to a larger animal when they are available :biggrin2:
 
That is sad news.
Pobla is still with us. She stays in her house all the time although we can see her and make eye contact. Sometimes she is compelled to reach out and rearrange the rocks piled in front.
In a couple days I am leaving for two weeks. I was hoping things would come to a close by now. I don't know if I will see her on her last day.
 

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