Unknown Phylum. Any suggestions?

[I Love Calamari]

I like the ideas, if it is a ceph (Trem in particular), that the tentacles would be pulled in as a feeding behavior or as a protective posture. However, the egg hypothesis has me very intrigued.

The specimen caught by the White Shark Trust had an egg cluster. We can see where it was located. My first question to anyone who might know is: how would they be placed there? Could the mystery pics be of the animal placing them in the webbing?

Is there a "mating season" for cephs or Trem? Would this be the right time of year for an individual to even have eggs? Is it most or a certain number of species that usually die after nurturing the eggs? Essentially, do female octopi even reproduce more than once usually?

Lastly, if I remember correctly, the White Shark Trust did have pics of the animal they caught while it was in the water. It did not have its tentacles tucked in though we know it had an egg cluster. This would at least demonstrate that once the eggs are in place, Trem would not always swim like the creature in the mystery photos.

I'm still loving the Trem hypothesis and Clem's illustrations are spot-on IMO. Again, thanks to everyone for making this an awesome post!

 

[OB]

I would suggest Tremoctopus places its egg mass between pair 1 by use of pairs 3 and/or 4, not dissimilar to the way it "expels" its blanket. The only pair that needs to be tucked in for the animal to take on the appearance as seen in the "mystery pics" would be number 2.

PS: Clem, as if I wouldn't spot the dirty spoon

 

[CapnNemo]

The amazing blanket expelling video has given me an idea. Has anyone ever seen how Tremoctopus puts its blanket away? Is it at all possible that it could come to the surface so the blanket would drift downwards in one direction only (below the body) making it easier and quicker to gather it in? Would a Tremoctopus with a gathererd in blanket swimming close to, or on the surface, present a reduced profile to dolphin sonar, essentially a 'stealth' mode for the ceph?

Pure speculation but this is a fun thread!

 

[Snafflehound]

Isn't it rather flat-looking for an octopus?

 

[OB]

The amazing blanket expelling video has given me an idea. Has anyone ever seen how Tremoctopus puts its blanket away? Is it at all possible that it could come to the surface so the blanket would drift downwards in one direction only (below the body) making it easier and quicker to gather it in? Would a Tremoctopus with a gathererd in blanket swimming close to, or on the surface, present a reduced profile to dolphin sonar, essentially a 'stealth' mode for the ceph?

Pure speculation but this is a fun thread!

Lots of fun indeed! It wouldn't make any difference whether the octopus would be near the surface, or not, with respect to which way its blanket would "drift". Tremoctopus apparently uses its blanket for looking a lot larger and therewith more dangerous than it actually is, so rather than retracting it in the face of danger, it would rather produce it.

 

[mmmccrthy3000]

I read on the interweb (so it must be true!) that Trems' blankets can break easily, acting as a defense similar to an anole or gecko's detachable tail. Is this correct as well?

Also, the witness account of this encounter states that the dolphin horde was ignoring the critter and it them, nor did it seem bothered by the boat, so no "go-go gadget blanket!" response or lying in stealth mode would be warranted. Speculation, of course...

Best. Thread. Ever.

 

[Michael Blue]

Found this odd picture on eBay...Seems similar to our specimen and Trem...

 

[WhiteKiboko]

Found this odd picture on eBay...Seems similar to our specimen and Trem...

Except for the bird with feet half as long as it's body... but yeah...

a ceph in the sky, don't let erich see this...

 

[Infusoria]

Yeah, the feet are too big, and the beaks the wrong colour. Close though.

 

[OB]

That's the burger all right, bar the inconsistency of arm length with the real thing. Nice find MB!

Poulpe Voile means cloth octopus or sail octopus, pretty close to blanket

Adam, what about Clemoctopus?

 

[WhiteKiboko]

Adam, what about Clemoctopus?

Oh sure, give the guy who's done research and really cool drawings the credit.... what no Kiboktopus?

 

[OB]

I guess we could find a subspecies somewhere

 

[tonmo]

I've placed bids on a few items like this (drawings from old books or old prints or whatever) -- this one is the weirdest!

 

[Phil]

Great image Michael, thanks for finding it and posting it.

One question I don't think anyone has asked, unless I missed it, is if this is Tremoctopus, what exactly is the function of the 'nostrils'?

Thank you.

 

[OB]

The pores are I think inlets/outlets of some sort of hydrostatic organ; I have tried to get Bizikov's 2004 publication on this, but haven't got at it yet...

As towards the function of said organ, apparently it is seen as a "swim bladder", but I wonder what our mystery animal's "trunk" might have to say about this, or what would happen if air got into the system...