ID Requested

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Hi everyone. I recently got an octopus whom I've named Davy Jones. He came from KP Aquatics and is from the warm waters off the coast of FL, but I don't know exactly what he is. He was sold as an "octopus", not a "dwarf octopus." According to other members here, the "octopus" from KP Aquatics tends to be O. Briareus, but he does not look like any pictures I've seen of O. Briareus.

His mantle is about 2" long at the most. I have not attempted to actually sex him by looking at his third arm and have just decided to call him a "he," so he may not actually be male. The most notable feature on him are the two spots below his eyes on either side. Here are two of the best pictures I've been able to get of him. Thanks for any help!

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Also, I am not sure if this is helpful to identify his specie (or potentially his sex), but it looks like his third arm clockwise is actually split in two. So it appears that he has 8 arms total with 9 total arm tips.

 

[tonmo]

Wow - that is a sight. I've seen that in science, but not in a home-kept ceph before. @Tintenfisch, we used to discuss this phenomenon back in the day!

@chipmunkofdoom2, I don't *think* branching is an indicator of species, but I'll let our resident experts weigh in.

 

[Maggie]

Wow!

 

[tonmo]

While we wait for an ID, here's a classic thread on this broader topic (unfortunately some pics are missing):
Octopus with branching arms

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Thanks for the link, and thanks for the tweet for ID request I had searched when I first noticed the split arm, but I didn't know it was so rare.

Here's another pic of the arm. I haven't been able to get a good pic of it yet, partially because I Just noticed it yesterday haha, and partially because he's usually camouflaged on the rocks unless it's feeding time. When it is feeding time, he's usually quite excited and is anything but stationary:

 

[Tintenfisch]

Cooool! Have also updated the other thread to include a couple similar observations from squid specimens...

 

[DWhatley]

High probability of Octopus hummelincki. I recently received one from KP as well. This is one of my favorite octopuses to keep (of course Neal says my favorite species is whatever is currently in my tank). They are diurnal so be sure it has darkness at night (no blue lighting) because the definitely sleep at night and get anxious if they don't have darkness. It is so nice to see these coming back, they have been rare to see for several years.

 

[DWhatley]

May I move this thread to the journals section in hopes that you will continue sharing your adventure?

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Thanks for the ID @DWhatley! I took a look at your thread for ET and there are quite a few visual similarities. Mine looks a bit smaller, so if he is O. hummelincki, I think he has a bit more growing to do. I have a journal thread, I'll update it with a few of the pictures I shared in this thread so it can be a bit more of a comprehensive history of Davy

Thanks also for the tip on the blue light. I have an old AI Sol over the tank and was running 1% blues as a moon light, but I've since turned that off. The tank now has total darnkess at night (apart from a little ambient light from the ATS from my reef tank).

 

[tonmo]

May I move this thread to the journals section in hopes that you will continue sharing your adventure?

It's there, D!