Rummler is a dwarf????

[corw314]

Remember in the beginning I was questioning Rummlers species? Do dwarfs have the eye spots?? I just looked in his tank and there are hundreds of larva swimming up at the top of the tank by the light. They were not there as of this morning, so I am thinking something hatched. Could it be larvel octopuses? They swim in a jerky motion and are swarming at the top of the tank.

 

[Nancy]

Hi Carol,
I glanced through Cephalopods: A World Guide and didn't notice any dwarfs with eyespots. Can you put a couple of the larvae in a glass jar and photograph them? How big are they?

Nancy

 

[corw314]

Hi Nancy!

I'm not good with guessing size. Probably 1/16 of an inch? When I look at the few by the water line I can swear I see legs??? Was trying to figure out what else I have in there that could have hatched and other than grass shrimp but I don't think their larva would be this big.

We are off to walmart to try to get a kids microscope or even a magnifying some sort of a thing that I could combine with one of my digitals to try to get a close up.

Thinking about Rummlers, behavior these past few weeks, the shell collecting and hiding....I wonder......

I just put a few in a betta bowl which magnifies and I see eyes, and they look like tiny babies. There isn't much I can do because of their size right? I know I've read they are very hard to rear in captivity because of the size.

I found one of a scarce shot of Rummler when he arrived and it shows a dark spot with white in the middle.

Carol

 

[joel_ang]

How big is Rummler now? Is he still eating right? If they are really octo larvae, would they be considered planktonic or a big egg species?

 

[corw314]

Hi Joel!

Rummler stayed the same size, between the the size of a 50 cent peice and a silver dollar. I think they're planktonic. We looked at them with one of those reading magnifiers and its deffinately baby octos.

No. I don't think she's eating. And it all kind of makes sense now with the shell collecting and hiding....

Carol

 

[NickA5582]

Good luck with the babies, Carol.

 

[corw314]

Thanks Nick! Think I got a good shot!!! Quality not that great after I cropped it but you can see them. I also included the original I cropped from so if anyone wants to try and enlarge please feel free!! I tried in photo shop, but no luck yet!!

 

[Nancy]

Hi Carol,

Here's a link about raising small-egged octos.
http://www.cephbase.utmb.edu/TCP/faq/TCPfaq2b.cfm?ID=61

Check your email - I copied it for you.

I wonder what species Rummler is?!

Best luck with this - babies can be stressful to keep.

Nancy

 

[corw314]

Thanks Nancy!

When I got up this morning it looks like 1/2 of the babies are gone already! I still am not sure what species Rummler is as the eyespot seems to be an unusual marking for a dwarf.

Rummler did have a strange personality when I compare to all the bimacs I've had.

Carol

 

[Nancy]

Hi Carol,

Been an exciting holiday weekend for you!

Nancy

 

[corw314]

It sure has been an exciting weekend!! Who would have thought!!!

I brought home some seaweed and muck and stuff to throw in Rummlers tank, hoping there are creatures living in it small enough for the babies.

Carol

 

[rcl]

I think that is totally awesome that it had babies!!! I can't believe you got such a good picture of them too. If you could have raised them somehow it would have been really neat to be able to offer what seems to be a small species of octo that clearly does well in captivity!

Robert

 

[Andy Lister]

Hey Ho

How did you get on with your babies?? Good luck with it all

~Andy

 

[corw314]

Fraid they have all disapeared. I am hoping at some point I will take apart my filter and find a 1/2 grown baby that survived!! You never know right?