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Jake - Wunderpus photogenicus

MimicryJP

O. vulgaris
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Joined
Jul 24, 2012
Messages
79
Hows it goin TONMO?

My name is Jake and I have been in the marine hobby for about 12 years. I've raised Anywere from reef tanks to bamboo sharks and even a blue spotted stingray, but I never could get over the fascination of the octopus. Asking my LfS to bring me In a bimac I Waited patiently. A month went by and I heard nothing so I decided to go up there and see what's up... After I take a look around for a little bit I spotted a little critter cage In a top corner aquarium with two little eyes looking down at me. ( sign says mimic octopus)

I asked the clerk if it was on hold and she said..yes..And Ofcourse it was mine... Now Remeber how I wanted a bimac? Well I guess they lost my number and brought the mimic anyway. Now since they lost my number it's been they're for over a week and thankfully been eating fiddler crabs and peppermint shrimp.. Since there was such a mixup with the species and loosingy number they gave her to me for $120, knowing they can get up to $400 for this species and that she was probably better off in my care rather then at a LFS so Ofcourse I couldn't resist.

It has now been a month since she was acclimated to my tank, she is in a 40gal deep water tank with a large canister filter and a couple power heads that have swimsuit lining over them to protect her. I do a small water change every other day to keep nitrates down. She is currently eating gut loaded ghost shrimp and fiddler crabs.

Most of the day she spends out and about exploring her home, which is unusual for this species. From morning till about noon she is in her den then she doesn't usually go back in until 6 or so.. Then comes back out around 9pm, it's almost like clockwork ha.

I will post videos soon!
Thanks guys!

Jake
 
As long as people support such an outlandish profit margin for mimics, I'm afraid their future is bleak. Admittedly, the cost to the aquarist is about the same as a latte a day (given the average life span of a mature animal in captivity), but coffee is a renewable resource. I'm not sure that we can say the same about mimics.

Roy
 
GPO87;191799 said:
Can't wait to see the video's Jake! Arn't ya glad you went and visited the LFS in person!? :wink:

Yes definitely!


And also before i get flamed, Let me be more clear than I was earlier. I did not originally want a mimic octopus, nor do I think it should be an obtained species for the home aquarium, not just because of the possible rarity but because it makes such a long and stressful journey to the US. Most dont make it. but be rest assured that it's better off in my aquarium than a LFS' or Worse, a inexperienced hobbyist'. I am how ever very excited that I do get a chance to research such a beautiful and exotic species of octopus in my home and share it with other enthusiast.

Mobil:
YouTube

Mobil:
YouTube

Desktop:






Jake
 
Jake,

I'm not trying to flame you or anyone else. I simply want to make the point that the only immediate way to conserve mimics is to cut down the profit margin in their sale. That will happen if we pass on buying animals already in the pipe-line. If animals die unclaimed in LFS tanks or inexperienced aquarists complain because their $400 investment only lived two weeks, that may cut down the demand. As long as there are people who subscribe to the logic that it is better that the animal live a good life in my aquarium and are willing to pay several hundred dollars to "rescue" it, there will be a high profit margin for the collector, importer and LFS owner. It is hard to accept, but I'm afraid that the best immediate solution is for animals already captured to be sacrificed cutting off the future demand.

Again, I'm not trying to pick on anyone, just take the opportunity to pull out my soapbox and argue against the view that "the animal is better off in my care".

ROy
 
Neogonodactylus;191868 said:
Jake,

I'm not trying to flame you or anyone else. I simply want to make the point that the only immediate way to conserve mimics is to cut down the profit margin in their sale. That will happen if we pass on buying animals already in the pipe-line. If animals die unclaimed in LFS tanks or inexperienced aquarists complain because their $400 investment only lived two weeks, that may cut down the demand. As long as there are people who subscribe to the logic that it is better that the animal live a good life in my aquarium and are willing to pay several hundred dollars to "rescue" it, there will be a high profit margin for the collector, importer and LFS owner. It is hard to accept, but I'm afraid that the best immediate solution is for animals already captured to be sacrificed cutting off the future demand.

ROy

Your completely right. I agree. ( even though I sound like a hippacrit now haha)

I have better videos I will post if interested.... I just need some good time to transfer them when I'm not working.. I have most of them on my iPhone, so I have to email them to my iPad and then get them on YouTube from there... For some reason I can't access YouTube on my phone ha.

Thanks again,
Jake
 
Roy,
It is sooo hard to let an animal die when you come upon a special critter. If I had had a ready environment (and I was very close and could have made it happen), I would have acquired a nautilus that was in an improper tank at an LFS (no longer in business). I visited it twice and tried to at least get the owners to do some reading with a few gentle hints (like a 12" high warm water frag tank was not a good idea) but they insisted it was "doing well". I am not sure what happened to it but I often lament not buying it. If they had dropped the price to cost or less (keeping in mind your oft proclaimed issue), I would have.
 
Updatey

Ursella (girlfriend wanted to name her haha) is still doing well. She is still taking food every day or every second day. I am also finding out she would rather have the tank lights off all day, which is obviously typical for some species. For the past week or so I've been leaving the lights off on some days and she tends to spend the time completely out of her den moving about. When she would rest she would do so in the front of the aquarium towards the bottom, or towards the top were most of the water movement is. When I would turn the lights on, I would turn them on around 10am and she would be in her den by 11am, not returning to the open until around 9pm when the lights are off. (lights are LED, might switch to florecents)
Also I'm learning she may like a lot of water movement. She spends some her time next to the powerheads in the direction of the water flow. Does anybody know if this Is typical in some species?


Edit: typo in post title
Thanks
Jake
 
Yes, we often see them in the flow areas. Mine often hang around the Koralias, especially as they get older. I have a video of KaySoh (O. briareus) using the Koralia as a grooming aid to help shed sucker skin. I have had numerous senescent animals practically live in front of the Koralias and have wondered if it helps their breathing or if their skin is "itchy" and it scratches the itch. I sometimes wonder if we are missing something that should be in the aquarium water (or if the PH is off but I have not found this to be the case) or if this is normal in the wild as well.
 
mucktopus;192033 said:
Looks like a Wunderpus (Wunderpus photogenicus). Does the shop know where it's from?

Thats what I thought to, she has the white v shape marking on the mantle. They only told me Indonesia. I'm assuming they got her from a whole saler though.
 
DWhatley;192012 said:
I have had numerous senescent animals practically live in front of the Koralias and have wondered if it helps their breathing or if their skin is "itchy" and it scratches the itch. I sometimes wonder if we are missing something that should be in the aquarium water (or if the PH is off but I have not found this to be the case) or if this is normal in the wild as well.

That's very interesting!
 
MimicryJP;192039 said:
Thats what I thought to, she has the white v shape marking on the mantle. They only told me Indonesia. I'm assuming they got her from a whole saler though.

Every Wunderpus seems to have a slightly different pattern and in some the white spots form a V-like pattern on the back of the mantle. Check out this website and see if that helps: Wunderpus vs Mimic
 
K
mucktopus;192050 said:
Every Wunderpus seems to have a slightly different pattern and in some the white spots form a V-like pattern on the back of the mantle. Check out this website and see if that helps: Wunderpus vs Mimic

Thanks for the link.. I personally think she's a wunderpus photogenicus. She's more light brown and has the right markings, it's the eye stocks I'm wondering about, they're shorter than it seems in the pics
 

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