[r6413utah]

A LFS in Tampa has a Mimic octopus for 299.00, now I know these thing where un-seen until a few year ago. I suggested they call the local Aquarium. This thing had absolutly no fear and was extreamly curious about his/her surroundings. If I head back tomorrow I will try to get pics if it does not try to take the camera from me. Spent about 10 minutes watching it explore the tank next to him by reaching through the vents in the acrilic sectional tank. The real creapy part, is he makes eye contact simular to a dog or more like a iguanna. Did not mimic anything except an octopus while I watched, but definitely was aware of me an his/her surroundings.

 

[Wiskey]

That sounds really cool! I wonder if it would be possible to keep one of those long term? Probably not, but you never know,..

Whiskey

 

[leveldrummer]

all octo's are like that, if they arent, they probably arent healthy, i did a ton of reasearch when i started looking into salt water, just wasnt worth it, but i love those animals, mimics and blue rings are my fav though, mimics hardly mimic anything in the aquarium, they are just too curious to care, and no one is really sure if what they are doing in the wild is actually trying to mimic anything. but it sure acts weird if its not.

 

[jenajet]

I have heard they are escape artists and you have to make sure the tank is completely sealed up. Anyone else hear this?

 

[leveldrummer]

I have heard they are escape artists and you have to make sure the tank is completely sealed up. Anyone else hear this?

thats the main reason i didnt get one, very hard to keep in the tank, and cuttle fish are supposed to be even worse.

the rule about octo's is, if their beak can fit through a hole, so can the rest of them. (most of the ones you see in stores, the beak is about 1/4 inch)

 

[r6413utah]

I seen a special not too long ago on the discovery channel and it showed where a marine biologist had studied these guys for a summer and there where a few different shapes they mimic'ed. Shark, Eel, some kind of tube worm, ray. My understanding is they now have a chemical that will coagulate the ink into a blob. The last oct. I seen being sold had a jar with a crableg in it, as a selling demo to the guy who was buying it, the LFS owner dropped the jar into the water, the oct slid over took about 2 minutes to un-screw the lid and snatch the leg out and chowed.

 

[leveldrummer]

yea, they are WAY to smart, from what ive read, you almost need to do things like that to entertain it, the more you exercise their mind, the less chance they will escape, lots of articles talked about putting food in something to let it "figure out"

 

[dobejazz]

yea, they are WAY to smart, from what ive read, you almost need to do things like that to entertain it, the more you exercise their mind, the less chance they will escape, lots of articles talked about putting food in something to let it "figure out"

Sounds like keeping a parrot