Tremoctopus at Molassas reef in FL

[Thales]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1971621

Images are not mine, but belong to the poster in the above link.

Super cool!

 

[DWhatley]

Thanks, I sent the link on Ken and Kara (they dive molasses a lot for coral planting) and suggested they watch for one. I did mention that they are not aquarium animals so catching one for me was not being suggested

 

[OB]

Wow! Stunning as ever, but which species might it be, I have never seen this mottled appearance in T. violaceus violaceus before, although this picture @ tolweb suggests otherwise, hmmmm...

Then again, the specimen in this shot was identified as T. violaceus gracilis, and it has the spots as shown in the reefcentral pics. I have a sneeking suspicion, however, that ID's from photographs may be not quite be what they're cracked up to be

 

[CaptFish]

I missed it! I was down that way just the other day too. That is sooooo cool.

 

[Thales]

http://www.justnews.com/video/26781729/index.html

 

[tonmo]

Thread stuck!

 

[cuttlegirl]

Ok, that is the world's luckiest diver... I am sooo jealous.

 

[DWhatley]

Thales' link has an interview with the diver and he is suitably excited. I'll bet he will never dive without a camera now (he really got some terrific shot!). According to the news coverage, they are actually common in the Atlantic but normally stay further out in the gulf Stream and are rarely seen by divers. The weather has been bringing in lots of critters (the man-o-war being the least desired) of late.

 

[streetjudge79]

Blanket Octopus

Hey guys, I'm the lucky diver that photographed it. One of the members suggested I join here . It was pretty crazy seeing that thing in person. Nobody had any clue what it was, I just started snapping pics of it.

 

[DWhatley]

You are currently the envy of all members WELCOME!

 

[streetjudge79]

Thanks! It's been a pretty cool week after taking those pics. . I've got a few people asking me for prints of it so I set up a photo storefront on http://scubasteve.fototime.com, in case you guys wanted one. I'll put up the rest of the photos on there tomorrow.

 

[chrono_war01]

Thales' link has an interview with the diver and he is suitably excited. I'll bet he will never dive without a camera now (he really got some terrific shot!). According to the news coverage, they are actually common in the Atlantic but normally stay further out in the gulf Stream and are rarely seen by divers. The weather has been bringing in lots of critters (the man-o-war being the least desired) of late.

Do tell about the man-o-war, how big do they usually get and how much of a danger is a diver in if there are say...a few in the area of the diving location?

 

[skywindsurfer]

Wow...the photographs are just breath taking. Can anyone tell me if there are any physological differences between the sexes of this species like the differences between Argonauts? Also I noticed some of you speaking a various different species. I thought that there was only one species of blanket octopus. Are they more, and how many does science know about?

 

[DWhatley]

Octobot found another (note OB's comments) on Del Ray Beach

 

[GPO87]

that is stunning. These pictures are amazing! What a great creature!