[Octopus]: New juvenile briareus

[sedna]

It’s been a difficult couple of months, we have had a lot of serious family things going on and not much to get excited about. However, one bright spot in our lives has been receiving this new tiny briareus from KP Aquatics! It’s been here for just over two weeks, and he’s doing very well, so I am finally confident and starting this journal.

It’s still very crepuscular/nocturnal, I see it lurking about in the rocks until 10 AM or so and then not again until 8 PM or so. This little one is definitely hunting out all the native pods in the tank, and greedily accepts hermit crabs. It has so far yet to stick feed for me, but it’s so small that I have a hard time cutting a chunk of anything small enough for it! . I’m still not sure if it is a boy or a girl, so I don’t have a name yet each. However, as I am starting to see it out more often I am hoping that it has a friendly personality!

 

[sedna]

Gratuitous photo dump

 

[Hadla]

Just thought about asking you about your new baby and thought I’d check here first so tiny and adorable!

 

[sedna]

Just thought about asking you about your new baby and thought I’d check here first so tiny and adorable!

I’m a teeny bit superstitious about calling an octopus totally acclimated until it’s been living in a new system for two weeks. Then there’s that whole nocturnal thing to deal with- actually being able to catch them out when there’s enough light to take pictures. When they are just getting used to being in a new tank I don’t like to bombard them with a camera all the time. It’s hard to be patient!

 

[tonmo]

yay, a new @sedna tank!! I'm sorry to hear you've had a rough stretch... I'm so glad meet your new briareus!

 

[sedna]

Alright- we’ll I’m fairly certain that this new friend is a female, and I’ve named her “Salia,” for my absolute FAVORITE Star Trek shape shifter. She’s settling right in- shows up on the glass right on time for Star Trek every night at around 8pm or so. She’s comfortable with my hand on the glass now, but I haven’t tried interacting with her yet.

 

[tonmo]

 

[AuroraVK]

Any update?

 

[sedna]

For some reason I thought I’d already dropped these photos- this week has been filled with redundant chores… Salia and I have made first contact- it went as it always does, she slowly crept forward, then away, then lunged for my fingers. After a bit of exploration of my hand, she did what the ALWAYS try- which is to pull my entire hand into one of her rock dens. . Always so cute how they’re clueless as to physical geometry!

In addition to making first contact, this week has brought her out onto the glass earlier in the evenings. She’s out around 5:30 lately- which is fun for these long days!

 

[sedna]

Frustrated with Facebook and my efforts to help make a positive difference, so having TONMO and intelligent people to interact with and continue to learn from really helps lift my spirits!

 

[tonmo]

love these pics @sedna!

Ya, I have basically gone completely off Facebook. Not liking it for much of anything! I'm always so glad to see you here, and your incredible tank of course.

 

[sedna]

Got these pictures the other day when Salia was out on the early side- around 5:30. For a size reference, from the webbing of my pinky to the tip is 6.5cm. Elise and I blew the picture up life sized, and measured that extended arm at 9.5-10cm.

She’s not stick feeding yet, there’s so many ‘pods to hunt and she’s still a little shy of the feeding stick- so more contact on the glass is helping her get bolder. She grabbed the brush for a moment when I was cleaning yesterday, but quickly retreated. She’s like my smallest dachshund- braver when she’s on the other side of the glass!

 

[Hadla]

Love the last pic! When they stick their eye out away from the body for better inspecting

 

[sedna]

Nothing new to report, we’re in the middle of summer activities, and I’m not taking lots of pictures right now. The bonding continues, though- lots of play through the glass. She’s still hunting pods and hermit crabs. I tried (very clumsily) to stick feed her again, but she was freaked out by my bumbling attempt. The food fell off of the stick, so she got it eventually- just not the way I’d hoped for that “enrichment session” to go down!

 

[sedna]

So, it’s my 14 year anniversary of keeping octopuses, and I honestly wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without TONMO, Tony Morelli and our amazing community. I’m so thankful for you all, and the enduring friendships I’ve made here- even my daughters have been and continue to be nurtured by TONMO family! This is what I posted on Facebook:

It’s my 14 year anniversary of keeping octopuses! In 2008 I found an O. aculeatus at my LFS. I’d been keeping since 1982 (26 years) and had always wanted to keep an octopus, but I wouldn’t try it without a wealth of information and support. Thankfully I found TONMO.com, and I’ve been constantly amazed ever since. In the last 14 years, I’ve gotten experience with several species of octopuses, they are constantly challenging my aquarist and photography skills- as my public journals on TONMO can attest to!

As “Sedna” on TONMO, the knowledge and experience I gained there led me to be interviewed for both a BBC documentary, “Octopus in My House,” and for Hakai Magazine article, “Can We Make Friends With an Octopus?” My experiences have led me to several “octopus friends” on Facebook, especially as a moderator for “OctoNation” and “The Suckers-Octopus Owner’s Group.”
At the moment, I have a gorgeous young O.briareus in a tank that’s been running for 22 years (older than my kid! ), and I can’t imagine ever not living with an octopus!