[Octopus]: Anya, O. briareus

[Tomh]

That’s good thinking! My bimac would soak me and attack anything I put in tank!! He would climb out tank in an instant. One night I was careless and left top open for a couple of minutes next thing I know I heard gasping noises and sure enough he was crawling on floor towards my other tank!!! Had to scoop him up with net. Put him back in and he was eating a half hour later!! Man I miss him

 

[DWhatley]

Great color capture for what I call their peach coloration.

 

[sedna]

I’m quite possibly looking at the beginnings of the gathering of materials for a brooding den... . Have to wait and see- fingers crossed that it’s just from playing last night!

 

[sedna]

She doesn’t actually “play” with this toy. When I found it pulled in front of where she usually sleeps this morning, my heart skipped a beat thinking it’s the beginning signs of brooding...

 

[sedna]

Some pictures of Anja attacking a brush that we use for cleaning. In order to be successful at performing a water change, it is necessary to distract Anja from the siphon! No more tank maintenance with only one person... .

 

[tonmo]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=798805490619583

 

[sedna]

Here’s a video of Elise playing with Anya

 

[sedna]

Anya is still coming out and being social, but not quite as much as before. She came out this morning while I was working out in the living room. I’d like to think it was me but she wanted to see, but the Ambassador Sarak episode of Star Trek TNG was on, so most likely it was Mark Lenard she wanted to see.

I continue to see a growing collection of brooding den materials, though- so from here on out I’ll enjoy whatever social time I can get with her. This is where journaling becomes very helpful to me! It’s awesome to be able to pull out my phone and look on the site to find the dates of when things were happening in the tank. I’ve only had one large egg Octopus lay eggs before, 7 years ago- and they weren’t fertile. So I am hopefully keeping my fingers crossed…

 

[tonmo]

Anya has been so great - fingers crossed!

 

[sedna]

Three days of building her brooding den, but she’s still active and social. I’m not sure why she chose this spot for a den- it’s right up against the side of the tank... There are so many great rocks with ample space, but she’s all crammed up against the wall!!! It’s been her favorite napping spot, I think because she has a direct line of sight to the dogs- she’s always been interested in what they’re doing.

 

[pkilian]

Great photos! Her coloration is very nice. I look forward to seeing if she lays!

 

[sedna]

Great photos! Her coloration is very nice. I look forward to seeing if she lays!

I’m sure she’ll lay- they always do whether they are fertile or not. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that they are fertile eggs with viable babies!

 

[sedna]

When I found out that fellow OctoNation member, Glenn, had a lifelong dream to have an octopus encounter, and that he only lives half hour from me, we invited him over to our Bentley Street Zoo Glenn is in the final stages of his battle with lung cancer, so it was important to my family and me to make this happen!!!

Glenn is an amazing human and gracious guest. He brought toys and food or Anya! First, they played play tug-of-war with a glowing squid and orange twisty toy. I was worried that since she had already begun her brooding den that she wouldn’t be social. I was ALSO worried that she might be too social and bite him or be too rough! He was unsure how she would react to his recent round of chemotherapy, she didn’t seem to treat him any differently than a non-chemotherapy hand she has encountered.

Then, he stick fed Anya chunks of scallops, shrimp, and cod that he brought for her. I let him feed her until she she wouldn’t accept any more, which turned out to be more than I thought she’d take!

I would never have started keeping octopuses if it weren’t for this site. The support and information I have gotten from TONMO members is amazing! Quite literally, I was able to grant a dying man’s wish because of the support I have gotten from this community over the past 11 years.

 

[sedna]

 

[sedna]