Male or Female?

[asch803]

Is it true that you can tell a male Octo from looking at his 3rd ardm on his left side to see if it has suckers? If he has suckers, he's a she...I have a bimac and he's (???) doing great, but I'd hate for him to be a her and have her die in a few months after laying eggs...Any info is appreciated...thanks

Andy

 

[cephalopoder]

Well my friend you can't tell just by looking at them. You need to have a adult octo for one thing. The young ones will not be old enough to sex yet. Then you need to pick it up , isolate the third right arm and look very closely at the tip. This third modified arm is called a hectocotylus. It has a rounded spoon like tip with a groved channel running along it called a ligula. You need to pick the octo up and do this by hand to see it. It is not easy or for the squeemish. Good luck!

 

[asch803]

pick him up?

pick him up?

Don't really think i'm ready for that and i'm not quite sure he is either...He does come out a few times a day now and just cruises along the glass checking out what's going on...I just got the 2nd one (another Bimac) for my class (high school) on Friday...He's out all the time and seems to enjoy the attention...I wasn't sure what the reaction would be, but the kids love him...Even a few of the girls who thought he was gross on Friday admitted that he's cute today...He's eating real well too...I've been getting raw shrimp already peeled and both Octos are pleased...Less waste that way without the shells...Still like giving him crayfish too..

Andy

 

[cephalopoder]

I peal my shimp too, for the same reasons. They love it. You can also try small calms, and watch them drill them with their radula. It takes a few hours to open, but you will see a little drill hole in the empty shell over the abductor muscle ever time. Very cool shell samples when there done. Little neck clams need to be drilled, and steamers will be ripped right open. My fish guy at the super market knows me by heart. I just bought two clams tonight to try with the mimic. Its pretty funny the first time you ask for one or two clams. Once they know your secret, they look forward to talking to you every time your there!
chris

 

[asch803]

getting some clams tomorrow...

getting some clams tomorrow...

that sounds REALLY cool...gotta get me some clams

Andy

 

[OctoMonkey]

I know what you mean Chris.
A local shop sells cooked, ready to eat, mussells and whelks and so on and then some idiot strolls in and asks for 2 live mussells hahaha! They dont even charge me anymore. BUT I do have to stand there while the shop keeper asks the other customers to guess why the hell this guy wants only 2 mussells!
Well, i guess i can put up with that for my ceph pals at home.

On another subject, totally away from aforementioned.......
Is there any chance that cephs might miss out on valuable nutrients from getting shelled food rather than with shell? I only ask because when i feed live whole shrimp or similar, the only bit i find is the head area.

What do you suggest is an acceptable calcium level for cephs?
Thanks