now we think its.........

[KMAN]

me and some friends work at an aquarium in southern california and we were trying to start a breeding program with octos. We think we now have O. californicusso we need to know everything: gestation period , clutch size, wether they hatch planktonic or bigger, ideas for nursery , so on and so forth...
please please give any and all info even if you dont think it will help.
Thanx so much

 

[Nancy]

It's not easy to raise octopus hatchlings - but here's some info on californicus.

O. californicus (California Bigeye Octopus) lives in sand and mud habitats in cool waters. It's recognised by its orange color, large eyes, deep webs and raised patches over the upper surface of the body and arms. These octopuses are night active, eat fish and crustaceans. They produce large eggs (up to 17 mm, quantity 100-500. Adult size is about a 5 1/2 inch mantle, 12 inch arms.

You need to talk with someone who is breeding octopuses to get more information on how you could best handle raising the babies.

Nancy