small eggs

[bmatson]

I know that this has been talked about before but I have a question about small eggs. I have heard from just about everyone that it is all but impossible to raise but haven't other planktonic organisms been successfully raised? I know you'd need a kreisel, but would it still be almost impossible?
Also I have heard some people have tried, has anyone been successful?

Thanks for any help,
Ben

 

[DHyslop]

Jim Louis is trying this as we speak, see his thread. There are two reasons I can think of that it hasn't really been done for small-egg octopuses. The first is the fact that there are plenty of big-egg species available: why rub two sticks together if you have a Zippo? Second, market. There's a lot more people who want captive bred seahorses than octopuses. Notice that no one's even breeding the big-egg octopuses for the hobby! Right now I would guess 95% of the octopus market supplies undetermined species in poor-health to impulse-buyers.

None of the octopus breeding projects are sustained. Typically they're begun by accident when someone's pet lays eggs--Jimbo's experiences and Debby's briareus come to mind.

Dan