• Looking to buy a cephalopod? Check out Tomh's Cephs Forum, and this post in particular shares important info about our policies as it relates to responsible ceph-keeping.

Flamboyants at California Academy of Sciences

Yes, however, the posturing can/seems to turn into 'bullying' which can/seems to manifest as health issues, floating and lack of appetite. From what I have seen here and at AMW, males will harass females if kept in pairs (Delbeek, Waikiki), while trios (MMF) allows for the males to harass each other rather than the female, and larger groups (MMMFF) seem to do well with the harassment distributed more evenly if present at all. However, this last may also be connected to the necessarily larger housing the larger groups need.
 
That sounds like the best parcel ever! Or were the juveniles and eggs from your previous adults? Are shipping practices getting better to allow adults and juveniles to be shipped from their home range?
 
spinycheek;184042 said:
Are shipping practices getting better to allow adults and juveniles to be shipped from their home range?

My hypothesis is that wild caught animals ship poorly, but that captive bred and raised animals ship well - that is if they are shipped well. I have shipped and received captive bred and raised bandensis and Metasepia of all ages with no problem. The problem with wild stuff, IMO, is not only may it freak in collection and shipping, but the time between collection and shipping and reshipping, and the holding 'facilities' involved aren't providing what the animals need.
 
spinycheek;184042 said:
Are shipping practices getting better to allow adults and juveniles to be shipped from their home range?

My hypothesis is that wild caught animals ship poorly, but that captive bred and raised animals ship well - that is if they are shipped well. I have shipped and received captive bred and raised bandensis and Metasepia of all ages with no problem. The problem with wild stuff, IMO, is not only may it freak in collection and shipping, but the time between collection and shipping and reshipping, and the holding 'facilities' involved aren't providing what the animals need.
 
That sounds right, I bet if more care were placed into shipping cephs from the wild, the survival rate would be much higher. You see it with fish, some suppliers will package multiple fish in a single bag with thin insulation and those have extra high mortality rates.


How are the new flamboyants coming along? I've been following your successes with bandensis for years, before anyone really had any and I'm thrilled they're so common now. I hope flamboyants follow the same path, in a sustainable manner of course.
 
Reefs.com
and
http://www.tonmo.com/blog/entry.php?98-Fascinating-Flamboyants



From Advanced Aquarist Reefs.com
and
http://packedhead.net/2011/fascinating-flamboyants/

We shot this video last week, and even though the footage is shaky, and made slightly more so in the 60's editing style, it still shows some pretty amazing behaviors of one of the most fascinating of all the fascinating cuttlefish, Metasepia sp. This female, and two males, are currently on display at the Steinhart Aquarium in the California Academy of Sciences, where they are mating and laying eggs regularly.

In the wild these animals are often found ‘walking’ across sand flats or much habitats away from any cover, where it has been thought they live most of their lives protected from predation by their apparently toxic flesh, flashing their flamboyant colors as a warning – don’t eat me, I am bad for your digestion. However, some recent observations lead me to want to question where these animals may actually be spending their time. Atlantis Marine World in New York has been incredibly successful at raising these animals and recently shipped 10 juveniles to the Steinhart aquarium where they are being kept behind the scenes. In their holding tank, and in the holding tank of one adult male, there is a literal wall of rock against the sides of the tanks for biological filtration, and the cuttles spend most of their time in, around, and on this rock and not on the large area of open sand. This behavior is more consistent in the adult male, who over the past month, has rarely been seen on the sand. Last summer while on an Academy expedition in the Philippines, we saw only one Metasepia on the sand, but that sand was in the surrounded by rocky reef, so it just might be the case that these hard to find animals are actually hiding in and around the reefscape. It is important to make clear that this is speculation and that hopefully more observation of these animals both in captivity and in the wild will help to yield more information about these amazing animals.

metasepiar2.jpg


The lone male Metasepia in this tank ignores the open sand and prefers to stay on the rock, often perched near the top of the stack.
Even experienced ceph keepers with mature tanks should think long and hard before obtaining this species. Their needs are resource intensive, specific, and not yet fully understood. Perhaps more importantly, the size and health of their wild populations is unknown.

Even the sharing of information, photos and video of these animals can be controversial. Some fear that detailed information and attractive photos may encourage inexperienced saltwater aquarists to obtain specimens. Personally, I believe that knowledge should be freely available, rather than hidden from view. I also believe that the admiration of a species can be of benefit to its preservation in the wild rather than its detriment. Furthermore, it is my hope that the information shared about these animals will allow aquarists to make sound, rational decisions regarding the advisability of keeping these very difficult animals.

For more information check out this article, this article, and of course the site for all things cephy TONMO.com
 

Shop Amazon

Shop Amazon
Shop Amazon; support TONMO!
Shop Amazon
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Back
Top