Red Octopus Babies Hatch at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport - Coast Explorer Mag

[octobot]

[SIZE=-2]Coast Explorer Magazine[/SIZE]

Red Octopus Babies Hatch at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport [SIZE=-1]Coast Explorer Magazine[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]Red Octopus in the Rocky Shores gallery at Newport's Oregon Coast Aquarium. The Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport welcomes Red Octopus babies for the first time in ten years. Several months ago the female Red Octopus in the aquarium's Rocky Shores ...[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1][/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]http://news.google.com/news/more?pz=1&ned=us&ncl=dFyUYcoTgq00geM[/SIZE]

More...

 

[asid61]

What species is a "red octopus"? Is it a large egg or small egg species? If it's a large egg, it shouldn't be hard to get several surviving babies.

 

[Cuddlycuttlefsh]

As for the species, Red Octopus would generally refer to Octopus rubescens. They do have other common names such as what many would call them Ruby octopus. They are most known for their common dark red displays and are usually found scavenging (if not for brooding or mating reasons) in seaweed beds during low tide. They dwell around the west coast of America in cold water environments. O. rubescens do grow about as big as an E. dolfleini and are also local up in Alaska.

As for the egg size, I have no idea. Some others who are experts at octopuses might answer that question like Joe-ceph, Capt Fish, or D. (That's practically everyone,hahaha).

 

[DWhatley]

The photo is of a GPO (giant Pacific octopus) but you can never trust media posts not to be using stock photos and miss the mark. In this case, however, if you "Google Oregon Coast Aquarium octopus" you will see that it is indeed a GPO (both the rubescens and the GPO are often referred to as the red octopus and both would be native to Oregon).

Both red octos are small egged and you are correct, it is unlikely any will survive, and definitely not by feeding brine shrimp.

 

[Cuddlycuttlefsh]

Yeah, I was skeptical about it being O. rubescens too, the skin pattern seems almost linear. Could the reason why rubescens and dolfeini both be referred as red octopus because they seem alike and dwell in the same areas?

 

[DWhatley]

They are likely both called a red octopus because they are red when they show color but the color of the adult GPO is really quite different than the rubescens (and the ruby always seems to look gelatenous). They do come from the same area but I don't believe that has to do with the common name confusion. I have not seen photos of a young GPO but have read that it is difficult to tell them apart early on and we have a young red in the journal forum with this delema. The photo, however, is clearly GPO. It is only the accuracy of the media I needed to verify.