Mimic Octopus

I'm writing a hub on these amazing creatures simply because today..............i bought one. I bought a wonderpus photogenicus to be exact but they are very alike physically and in behavior. Now before someone jumps on me for buying one, let me explain myself.

I dropped by a wholesaler this afternoon with the intention of browsing their selection of pistol shrimps. Lo and behold, caged in a tiny plastic container was what looked like a mimic octopus. I made two educated guesses right there and then.

The first guess was how it would die with this wholesaler within a week as this particular wholesaler doesn't really care about the condition of their livestock since they deal in bulk. The second guess involved someone that bought it because it looked cool when he/she didn't know anything about proper fish husbandry, much less octopus care.

I've never kept an octopus either but hey, i'm a dedicated hobbyist with over a decade of experience and i will do everything in my power to ensure the wonderpus has a good life during his stay with me. On to google i went for any scrap of information i could find on this stunning octopus and here is what i found.

I'll be writing not only about the mimic octopus (Thaumoctopus Mimicus) but also the wonderpus octopus (wonderpus Photogenicus) since they're so similar and the one i have is a wonderpus.

Both species hail from south-east-asia (Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia). They are usually found at the bottom of very sandy areas where they will typically dig themselves a burrow.

A small octopus, they will grow no longer than 2 feet in length. Like most other octopus, they prey primarily on crustaceans. Their tentacles have the ability to squeeze through the narrowest of hole in search of their prey.They do prey on fishes as well.

All octopus have the ability to squeeze their entire body through a hole through very small holes. Mimics can pass through through a 1cm diameter whole with ease. As such, most hobbyists that keep octopus in an aquarium always ensure that all holes are sealed shut.

What sets both the wonderpus and the mimic apart from other octopus is how they mimic other creatures in the wild.

It is thought they do this primarily for protection from predators.They are known to mimic 3 sea dwellers in particular. Two of which are venomous

• Banded Sea Snake
• Lionfish
• Flounder

A great video of all three forms are caught in the mimic octopus video above.

All octopus are extremely intelligent as far as invertebrates go. They've been known to learn tricks in captivity such as unscrewing a bottle for food. And thats exactly what i plan to do with mine.

Sadly, they are a short lived species with a life expectency of about a year. I have no idea how much longer mine can go but i hope it lasts for at least half a year.

While they look entirely similar, there are some minute differences between the species.

We have to look at their mantles (Their heads) and observe the patterns present on it. The Wonderpus octopus has a very solid colored brown and white mantle with the borders of both colors easily told apart.

Not so for the mimic octopus, the edges of the brown coloration seem to fade into white.

There are two more differences of note between the two.

The mimic octopus has short eye stalks as opposed to long ones on the wonderpus octopus.

Mimic octopus have suckers (feet) that are line white at the base while those on the wonderpus are not lined at all. This is the one that clinched it for me. I knew then i had a wonderpus and not a mimic octopus.

While both species mimic venomous creatures in the wild, it is not entirely clear if they are poisonous themselves. It is thought that they may have some amount of venom to subdue prey.

But it isn't as lethal as the venom packed by the blue-ringed octopus. The blue ringed octopus by the way, is one of the smallest and most beautiful octopus found in the wild. It is also one of the most venomous and is very lethal to human beings.

If you see one in the wild, do not approach.