Can anyone help with an ID

[Zach S.]

Purchased this "Pacific brown" assorted octopus. This is my second day of owning. I have included pictures in the bag. He hid in the den with the light off all yesterday and last night (read if I left the room dark for a day he would relax more.) He readily took a thawed silver side (ate half and mangled the rest) he has been roaming and showing me his adaptive camo for the past hour, and then returned to his den. I do not know if he was just curious about me, he seemed to follow me around the tank, as we observed each other. As well as an ID could anyone put a rough ballpark age on how old he may be. There are about 18-20 hermits and maybe 10 snails in his tank to snack on, but I am very happy to have seen him eat half of a 1.5" silver side.

 

[Zach S.]

 

[Zach S.]

 

[Zach S.]

I can get more pictures if needed at another time He went back into his den. Sorry if the water looks dirty with particles, I assure you it is clean I have a canister and a skimmer running, he just is excavating tunnels in the sand kicking it up.

 

[Zach S.]

He came back out for one more picture. This is where he is digging and throwing up all the sediment for his den, you can see he already claimed a hermit shell.

 

[Zach S.]

He came out to great me today from what I assume is a second den site, maybe connected with a tunnel?

 

[tonmo]

so cool. Please start a journal once you're comfortable with an ID!

 

[Zach S.]

so cool. Please start a journal once you're comfortable with an ID!

I will do the best I can with updates and pictures. I'm hopefull someone can help me ID him. Thanks for the reply!

 

[Zach S.]

The mystery octo only took a few bites from his silverside this morning, I am trying to feed him a little extra so he can regain any strength he lost at the retailer. I then gave the mangled fish to the hermit crabs to pick at. The mystery octo stalked them, then swept in to claim one as a prize.

 

[tonmo]

Response from @mucktopus (via Twitter):

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1056281316461662209

 

[dclark8209]

Man looking at your photos I'd say yours and mine are the same what ever they are. I got mine on the same day as you got yours also. They are so cool

 

[Zach S.]

Thanks with the likely Abdopus aculeatus I'd guys. I looked them up and some of the camo patterns match, but I think what matches the most is the description of foraging in the day time for food. I was worried when reading about how most cephalopods only come out at night. But I am happy to see that mine comes out several times a day for a duration of 15-20min of hunting. Maybe that is due to the fact that currently he can only hunt hermit crabs, and not bigger food. I am feeding him silversides which he will extend an arm outside of the den to grab, and throw out what is left after. I will go to the market today and pick up some more seafood options, I think I will have him try some clams in the shell, that way he gets a fun activity aswell.

 

[Zach S.]

Is yours about the same size? And is yours coming out during the day often as well? I'd love to see some pictures if so. I was gladly surprised by how friendly it is, my aquarium is next to my computer and he will come right out and look at me every once in awhile. Thanks for the reply.

 

[Zach S.]

Response from @mucktopus (via Twitter):

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1056281316461662209

Thank you very much. I do not have Twitter, but I was able to view the reply.

 

[tonmo]

My intention was to direct people here to reply!