First Live Cephalopod

[Architeuthoceras]

Well after 50+ years I finally got to see a living Cephalopod

I went to the Gail Benjamin Aquarium Experience, a temporay exhibit until the big one is built. They had an Octopus dofleini, (GPO), what a wonderful creature. I stood there mesmerized for over an hour, and it didnt even move for the first 45 minutes! Then it started playing with some plastic eggs they had in with it and stretched out across the tank. it was about 12" mantle length and the arms stretched out to over 4 ft. They had to force me to leave about 15 minutes after closing time. :P Now I know what you guys who keep them get out of it

If only it had an external chambered shell

 

[Colin]

Re: First Live Cephalopod

Now I know what you guys who keep them get out of it

oh, its even better when you can sit for hours in the comfort of your own home and watch

 

[cthulhu77]

Fascinating animals, aren't they?? You know, you could always set up a Nautilus tank, and have the best of both worlds!
greg

 

[Cephkid]

If you can keep an argonaut alive...

 

[cthulhu77]

Many people have had good luck with them in captivity...yes, they do take some special work, and maybe some more esoteric equipment, but it isn't outside the realm of do-able...

 

[Cephkid]

ARGONAUTS?!?!?!.....oh, wait...I'm not referring(sp?) to Nautilus's, I'm talking about the PELAGIC octopus that grows a chambered 'shell'...Argonauta nodosa....only females grow 'shell' actually, it's an egg-case...very little known, males smaller and live shorter life spans....females thought to live longer and mate many times....very strange ceph. Cool though!

 

[Melissa]

Many of us on TONMO would have gladly stood watching the octopus for an hour with you!

Do you see a tank in your future?

Melissa

 

[Cephkid]

Actually, having re-read my other post, I feel it neccessary to explain. It was a sort of "cut-short suggestion", as in "If you can keep an argonaut alive...duh, what am I THINKING?!". A nautilus IS possible, I've seen them at aquariums. Personally though,-and this is just my opinion, not inviting flames or arguments- I think that getting a nautilus is sorta bad. They (and this may just be the pearly nautilus, I don't know) are not that common, and getting them in captivity just encourages people that supply them to get more. Would love to hear that it's only the pearly nautilus that's in trouble though, as I would feel much better.

 

[cthulhu77]

Hmm...well, the pet trade is actually an "after-effect" of the gathering of nautilus for the shells, so the impact on the wild ones by the pet trade is minimal...perhaps 1 in a hundred is used for pet stock, the rest are boiled... :x
We set up a tank for a museum with nautilus from Sri Lanka a number of years ago, and they did very well, but did require a lot of extra equipment. A friend of mine had a setup with one two years ago, and it lasted 9 months, not bad for a ceph. ( I do not know what the lifespan is in the wild, but this one was almost an adult)
AAAaaannaaawaay...just was a thought.
greg

 

[Jean]

to the live cephalopod obsession Archi


J

 

[Architeuthoceras]

While I would love to set up an aquarium and keep some live cephalopods, I spend way too much time ranging the ranges around here to give them the attention they would require and deserve. So I think I will just join the friends of the aquarium and visit and be mesmerized when I get the chance
I'm sure ya'll will keep answering my questions about how my old dead ones would have behaved