Simon - Arrival - 8-08-10

corw314

Colossal Squid
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I was going to wait to announce Simon's arrival...named because 3 store workers with one in particular, who I am hoping will be joining our community soon, said he has an attitude, was very pissed off to be in a critter pen, greeted her every morning! I picked him up yesterday at 3pm and had finished acclimating by 8 pm last night. Very active, which at first worried me and was a reason I almost did not buy him. He was all over the critter pen in the store and while dripping I made sure the top of the bag was secure as he was swimming and pacing and all over the bag as he dripped. Upon entry into the tank it took him maybe 3 minutes to find the opening. Darted off to the back of my tank and promptly pounced on the large crab I had minutes ago tried to remove from the tank as I was worried it was too large. I got to take a couple pics and have been searching for him since. Di....I know very well that anticipation of the first sighting. I'm keeping fingers tightly crossed.....And size is mantle about 1 1/2 " and in the store I saw large eye spots with the gold around them.
 
I see the eye spot (saw it even before blowing up the picture or reading your description :biggrin2: but then I kind of expected it from your hint earlier) The arms also show the diagnostic quick taper for hummelincki, something I have often mentioned through observation but found a diagnostic reference in a new paper I found, second entry. I listed him as O.hummelincki but can always change the reference if another ID is made. Did he also come from That Pet Place?

This "species" (quoted because I am convinced there are two - similar to the two bimacs and the two dwarfs and the two pacific dwarfs). The first paper in that link, I read sometime ago but reread it this weekend and converted some of the sizings to something I can mentally visualize. All 106 of the study group were dwarf sized! The one extra large female they mentioned still only had a mantle size of 2.9 ish inches. Of my four the two females were within the size range they show but one male was about the size of the mystery "large" female and the other far larger and then there is Penny.

In my hunting this weekend I found a great paper on joubini and really wish someone would do the same research on hummelincki.

The pacing is always a concern but the fact that it was hungry and immediately ate does not suggest senescence if that is any comfort. My males were pretty active when they were awake and the second paper mentions that in situ they were active and hard to catch. Octane would pace when the dryer was on at night so I would not put too much concern in the active nature unless it starts being obviously a wandering without purpose.

I am really kind of excited that these are showing up again after the cold winter! Certainly a good date to get an octopus!

Edit: It helps to have ending brackets in the proper location or you can lose two paragraphs
 
congratulations and :welcome: Simon!
It always breaks my heart when I see one in a barren critter keeper, they look miserable. Seeing these newly aquired hummelinckis makes me want one for my 50. Problem is finding one that is hummelincki and not a larger species. One day!
Beautuful little guy, following along.
 
Almost 48 hours - Keeping fingers tightly crossed....no sighting since Sunday....but serpent star keeps changing position, and always was outside of octos new den so hoping and resisting the search for the octo impulse....
 
AHHH....HAAAAA....Day 3.....I'm up in the middle of the wee hours of the morning scanning the tank.....my first stop when I cross my thresh-hold is the tank...before I even get out of work clothes....I did a minor, mini physical search...I admit it....I could not help but move a few tiny shells hoping for crab remains, any thing octo siting, but stopped myself...my kids were getting texts in the middle of the day....please search the tank for me.....I even went so far as checked my sealing of the tank...looked under the tank and desk by the tank....only thing that kept me from panicking is the crab count....last count there were at least 6 left over from Spike....now possibly one as of this morning....Tonight.......I found the elusive eye......I am sooo relieved....and octo count over the years????? I need to research that...I know it's at least 10 that I can think of off the top of my head....I am obsessed.....I am totally a captive of their unique intelligence and awesome abilities....
 
Yep, looks like an octopus eye to me! :biggrin2: I am almost willing to bet that you are close to 100% off your off the top of your head count. I think you have posts for that many.

[edit]:sagrin: Without an exhaustive search I came up with:
Spike II, Inkley, Oscar, Ickaly,Octo#2 II,NoName, Biddle, Spike I, Octopuse #2 I, Squiggles, Eureka, Egor, Gimpy, G2, Inklet and Rummler.
 
And there was Hermin, Inkler, Ink, and now Simon so up to 20 over the past 15 years! I am obsessed....Tonight was wonderful! He took a large crab from my hand and then proceeded to try to maneuver it into the barnacle he's living in. Finally decided he'd have to dine out tonight!
 
I mentioned your serious under-estimate to Neal and he started counting how many we have kept (we did not count the hatchling that did not survive or a couple of mercs and a joubini that were senescent when they arrived) and found we have kept over 20, yikes! Of course Trapper accounted for 9 of those and Kooah 3.
 
Day 10....So far Simon is doing very well. All snails have been consumed. He has not ventured out much when I am home, but I can entice him out with a crab. Last night he came out, perched on the barnacle for about 15 minutes. Tried to blow my hand away, but allowed me to touch his leg.
 
I came home from work early today, tired for a very good reason, as some of you know... to an empty house and a very active octopus! Simon was on the back wall. Turned very black when he saw me. I put a crab in and grabbed my camera and waited. He came back the length of the tank and pounced on the crab and then instead of taking it back to his barnacle, sat on top of the barnacle watching me! I got several shots of his eyespot, but I think this is calming/nonthreatening colors.
 
Carol,
Not only is the second shot sharply focused, but unless I am mistaken it shows that Simmon is a male. I can't tell which arm it is attached to but that arm tip sticking out looks as if it has a channel and an unsuckered tip.
 

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