My BEST hitchhiker is an OCTOPUS!

[Buddy Pine]

I never expected this to happen to me in my entire life. What a shocker! After picking up a few corals from my local Reef Stores, I was watching my tank one early morning when suddenly I saw something unusual moving besides the new coral i've just bought. I had to rub my eyes exactly what it is, when it moved and saw the tentacles it just freaked me right out! What an AMAZING hitchhiker!. Luckily my camera was handy and took some photos. I was told that it's from Indo Pacific and a Pigmy Octopus species. If anyone knows exactly what it is please let me know, thanks in advance.

These photos was the first day I found him in my tank, April 19, 2006 (night shots).

 

[Buddy Pine]

2 months later...

2 months later...

This is 2 months later, June 24, 2006 (day shots)

 

[Sk8r]

What a neat critter!

 

[DHyslop]

Beautiful little guy! Thanks for sharing.

Do you feed him or let him scrounge?

Dan

 

[Frostyeel]

Does he leave the fish alone? Cool looking octo.

 

[Buddy Pine]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7627002#post7627002 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DHyslop
Beautiful little guy! Thanks for sharing.

Do you feed him or let him scrounge?


I tried feeding him as much as I can but manage to eat a little more than expected.

 

[oceanscurve]

That octopus is going to rip apart your reef tank (eat all the fish, ext.). That inst a pygmy its a briareus. which grows to be 2 feet from tentical to tentical. I suggest returning it to your lfs for your reefs sake or isolating in your quaritine tank until you can get another tank for it.
It is a very cool hitch hicher though,

-Tom

 

[DHyslop]

He's pretty big now, so if you haven't seen him nip at the fish I wouldn't be too worried. Contrary to the stereotypes, its just as common for fish to harm octopus as vice versa; although if yours was being nipped at by the fish, I don't think he would show off like that.

If you were to take it to a LFS they would almost certainly kill it. You have a very happy accidental octopus and you can consider yourself lucky

If you are worried about the fish and want to keep trying to supplement its diet, you can get fiddler crabs for reasonable prices at www.aquaculturestore.com. I don't know if they ship to Canadia, though!

It does look a lot like Octopus briareus, particularly the "web" at the base of its arms, but I don't think that's exclusively diagnostic. If your LFS is correct that it came from the Pacific then it is certainly not O. briareus. The question is whether or not the store really knows where their stuff comes from. Either way, its no dwarf!

Thanks again for sharing. Beautiful little guy.

Dan

 

[thedigitalimager]

Whatever the species, it's fascinating and gorgeous. If it doesn't work out in your tank, I'll bet that a public aquarium would take him. Thanks for sharing such a wonder!

 

[Yasha]

He is one attractive looking octopus. If you are wanting to keep him, post the pics on tonmo. They would be able to tell you what your your hitch hiker is. Keep posting pics of the cute one.

 

[shells]

what an awsome little guy.

 

[mikeatjac]

I would make sure that you have something in place to keep him from climbing out.

Thanks for the pictures, lots of fun viewing. LR is cool, you never know.....

 

[Buddy Pine]

Here he is feeding on Tiger Shrimp, man this guy is strong!!

 

[thedigitalimager]

That's so cool! How often do you feed him?

 

[batesdc]

That is awsome what a great hiker!!!

 

[Buddy Pine]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7665707#post7665707 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by thedigitalimager
That's so cool! How often do you feed him?

once or twice a day, shrimps and Iobsters.

 

[thedigitalimager]

You mentioned that he came in with some corals you purchased. I'm amazed that he went unnoticed. Was he really small? I know they are able to camouflage themselves.

 

[nancyocto]

You have a very beautiful octopus and you're doing well in keeping him. If you ever decide you don't want him (and that would be a shame), there are octopus keepers at this site who would be glad to have such a fine octopus. They'd like to see your excellent photos, too.

Nancy

 

[lessans]

I think it would be cool if you put him in his own tank that way you won't risk the lives of your corals. Plus, if you wanted to you could put in much bigger prey to watch him eat.

 

[Boomer]

Now that is cool L@@ks liike he likes it there.