octopi personalities

[Nemichthyidae]

im going to get my first octopus soon (hopefully a bimac) but it may end up being something similar or something commonly confused with a bimac, so anyways i was wondering about the personality of bimacs and other similar octopi. It would also be pretty cool to hear about some people expierences and interactions with them.

 

[Animal Mother]

Check out the Journals and Photos forum: http://www.tonmo.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13

 

[gjbarord]

Octopus behavior is described in great detail in Hanlon and Messenger's book, Cephalopod Behaviour. There is also much in the literature describing behavior in octopods.

Greg

 

[robyn]

if you are interested in the primary literature there are several papers from Jennifer Mather that might interest you.

Personalities of octopus
JA Mather, RC Anderson - Journal of Comparative Psychology, 1993

Early Temperamental Traits in an Octopus (Octopus bimaculoides). Journal of Comparative Psychology 2001. Vol. 115, No. 4, 351-364
David L. Sinn and Nancy A. Penin, Jennifer A. Mather Roland C. Anderson

 

[DWhatley]

Thanks for the reference Robyn. I think you may have mentioned theses before but this is the first time I found something on-line:

http://www.manandmollusc.net/smart_suckers.html

And while I was looking for free access to the second, I found this:

http://www.australiancephalopods.com/

 

[daddysquoc]

cephalopods are some of the only inverts that can be rightfully called a "pet," because of the fact that they interact with the humans around them. for example, my first one(o. bimaculatus) Sir Uric van Lichenstien of Gilderland (who was later found to be a she) reconized me and would only take food from me. for anecdote reasons, someone once put on my glasses and tried to feed Sir Uric, but the octo puffed sand at them

 

[SandV]

lol that is funny that she sanded him... Rigby definately know me and when it is not me... he gets mad and trys to fight Shane even when he just turns on the light... Last night he wouldn't take his crab dinner because Shane was standing right behind me... he just looked at him like "what do you think you are doing here watching me take my dinner... and it is late at that.." i had to just drop it and Shane left the room so he could eat....

 

[DWhatley]

Sanv,
Some how I think you and Shane need to stay away from large, protective, one person dogs ;>)

 

[SandV]

why do you say that?

 

[DWhatley]

... I always thought it was the dogs personality that has caused people I have known to have to give up a pet because the animal became over protective of one of the pair of owners (two pets that come to mind were German Shepherds). Your very interesting observation with Rigby (and similar mentions of a couple of other octo owners) makes me wonder if there is something animals detect in people that might bring out this attribute. Whimsical thought but curious.