octopus hitchhiker??

[turbo2oh]

I posted this in Reef Discussion but wanted to ask here as well. I was searching my tank at night with a red light for the first time and saw anlarge eye reflecting, it seemed too big to be a shrimp, so i tried a camera ambush and saw this:

Any advice?? I know nothing about them and he must have came along with my TBS rock.

 

[snookcatcher]

how much lr did u get? all at the same time? i live right by there and want an octopus

 

[turbo2oh]

I got the 29g package, I believe he came in the 2nd shipment.

 

[Gonodactylus]

Octopus mercatorus.

Roy

 

[liverock]

Octopus mercatorus.

Roy

Thais Roy.....for the ID..


FYI

Are neat critters will eat hermit crabs, plus other offerings of fresh seafood......lifespan is short ....two years at most I belive, but Roy can comment much better than me!

Thanks
Richard TBS

 

[lynn271]

Yes, please, more info on this lovely little octopus. I also have one of these that came in TBS rock.

 

[Gonodactylus]

I have never reared one from juvenile to adult, but my experience has been that when collected as adults (mantle about the size of a nickle to quarter, they only ive another few months. I suspect the life-span is less than a year.

Roy

 

[sdm]

6-8 months usual, right?

 

[slave-of-rock]

lucky hitch-hicker, i wish i would get one of those

 

[BG123]

I just got off the phone with a friend of mine that also got his rock from TBS and he is now setting up a new tank for his octopus hitchiker too.

 

[alien for fish]

hey turbo ..... how big is it?? dude ................you are way lucky to have lil guy guy in your rock shipment!!! sweet!!! talk about fresh rock!! who's your supplier??

 

[slave-of-rock]

tampa bay saltwater^^

 

[cephalopoder]

I reared a O.mercatoris from egg to adult a few years ago. From hatching to adult death was about 7 months.

 

[alien for fish]

are they as entertaining as the bimac speices?

 

[cephalopoder]

No , not at all. They would however make a great specimen for tank next to your bed with a red light on as a night light.

 

[turbo2oh]

Someone from my local reef club has offered to adopt him. Hopefully we won't have to tear everything apart in order to catch him.

 

[ReefDweller13]

I ork at a fish store and go thru about 3-500 lbs a month. lots of hitch-hikers but never an octo..e do have a octo tank tho and he is very entertaining..

 

[july865]

i recieved one in my TBS package yesterday. anyone willing to trade a for one??? he is mostly baige. but changes color very rapidly to match his suroundings. its rather funny placing different colors behind him and watching him change....

 

[slave-of-rock]

thats sweet, what would you want for him?

 

[july865]

asking for a titanium heater or other dry goods item. i currently have it in the "for trade" section on RC and the so. cal section.