Reef Central Online Community

Home Forum Here you can view your subscribed threads, work with private messages and edit your profile and preferences View New Posts View Today's Posts

Find other members Frequently Asked Questions Search Reefkeeping ...an online magazine for marine aquarists Support our sponsors and mention Reef Central

Go Back   Reef Central Online Community Archives > Invert and Plant Forums > Cephalopods

 
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 12/30/2003, 05:06 PM
kmk2307 kmk2307 is offline
Team RC Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Normal, IL
Posts: 4,590
Trying to clear up some confusion: What exactly are cephalopods?

Cephalopods are highly evolved molluscs characterized by bilateral body symmetry, a prominent head, and a modification of the molluscan foot into the form of arms and/or tentacles that surround the mouth. They have well developed brains and eyes, a hard and chitinous beak, and in many cases complex defense mechanisms and/or ways to subdue prey such as “ink,� potent venoms, and color changing chromatophore cells. Due to the similarity of the name, they are sometimes confused with amphipods or copepods which are small shrimp-like crustaceans. The class cephalopoda is supertended by the phylum Mollusca and it contains two subclasses, Coleoidea which contains the octopus, squid, and cuttlefish and Nautiloidea which only contains the few species of nautilus.

There are around 700 species of cephalopods worldwide in all undersea habitats, and surprisingly few inhabiting the coral reefs. Most cephalopods have a short life span with fast growth rates and only a life expectancy of one to three years. Cephalopods are the most active of the molluscs and some squids rival fishes in their swimming speed. Cephalopods are an ancient group that appeared some time in the late Cambrian several million years before the first primitive fish began swimming in the ocean. By the time the Coleoidea separated from the Nautiloidea, vascular plants and vertebrates had still not reached land. Some of the most spectacular cephalopods are the giant squid such as Architeuthis dux, whose body length (not including arms and tentacles) can grow in excess of 18 feet. They are the largest known invertebrates. Based on analysis of stomach content, these squid eat fish and other small squid.

In the home aquarium only small species are appropriate and these amazing creatures demand a great degree of planning and care. Octopus bimaculoides is one species of octopus commonly kept in captivity. This octopus can be fed meaty foods like shrimp, crab, and bivalve meat. They should be kept in aquariums with tight fitting lids that cannot be easily propped up from the inside and the rockwork in the aquarium should be extremely stable so that it cannot topple down onto the octopus that may enjoy digging and rearranging his habitat. It is also important to make sure powerhead strainers and other intake covers cannot be pulled off by these inquisitive cephalopods as they can be sucked in and irreparably injured or killed.


Southern Calamari Squid Sepioteuthis australis


Mourning Cuttlefish Sepia plangon


Giant Cuttlefish Sepia apama


Chambered Nautilus Nautilus pompilius


Blue-lined Octopus Hapalochlaena fasciata


Common Sydney Octopus Octopus tetricus
Courtesy of ATJ
__________________
Got brown bodies? Call Dr. Bryan Zoa, Doctor of Ectoproctology.
  #2  
Old 12/31/2003, 05:28 AM
OctoMonkey OctoMonkey is offline
www.tonmo.com
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Larkhall, Scotland
Posts: 693
what was that for?
__________________
...and the Earth died screaming, while I lay dreaming.
  #3  
Old 12/31/2003, 02:24 PM
kmk2307 kmk2307 is offline
Team RC Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Normal, IL
Posts: 4,590
A lot of people have been comming in the cephalopod forum and posting about amphipods and copepods and other organisms that have a name ending in -pod. A lot of casual hobbists don't know a lot of the scientific names for the organisms we keep. When they see pepople refer to pods as small "bugs" in tanks and then they see the somethingapod forum they relate the two and post here about their amphipod. I talked to some people in TRC and they thought it would be good to try to assemble a little writeup on cephalopods. All comments and additional information you would have included if you were gonna write something like this are appreciated.

Thanks,
Kevin
__________________
Got brown bodies? Call Dr. Bryan Zoa, Doctor of Ectoproctology.
  #4  
Old 01/01/2004, 07:06 AM
OctoMonkey OctoMonkey is offline
www.tonmo.com
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Larkhall, Scotland
Posts: 693
That's a very good idea... can you not make it sticky so it sits at the top of the forum?

How about an amphipod/copepod forum?
__________________
...and the Earth died screaming, while I lay dreaming.
  #5  
Old 01/01/2004, 02:07 PM
kmk2307 kmk2307 is offline
Team RC Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Normal, IL
Posts: 4,590
I can't make it sticky but I think someone out there is going to.

How about an arthropod forum? I don't think an echinoderm forum would hurt either.

Kevin
__________________
Got brown bodies? Call Dr. Bryan Zoa, Doctor of Ectoproctology.
  #6  
Old 08/04/2004, 12:21 PM
JRHazer JRHazer is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Geneva,IL
Posts: 38
You seem like the guy to ask.... Can people keep Nautiluses in species tanks?

It seems like something cool to try... just wondering if it can or has been done.
  #7  
Old 08/06/2004, 01:06 PM
traveller7 traveller7 is offline
RC Mod
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 4,697
It has been done, normally with very poor results.

Hit the search button at the top of the page, there is lots of good advice out there.

Cheers.
__________________
Scott
  #8  
Old 09/19/2004, 05:45 PM
Dragonscales Dragonscales is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
Posts: 7
An interesting tidbit about the nautilus is that they can survive extreme changes in water pressure due to their unique chambered design. This makes them one of the only deepsea lifeforms that is able to be pulled from the depths at high speed without being mutilated via stress to the body.
  #9  
Old 12/12/2004, 08:12 PM
Brad524 Brad524 is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: near Wisconsin Dells
Posts: 315
where could i find the two cuddlefish in the top pictures
__________________
After tons and tons and tons of research

I still know nothing

Together
Everyone
Acheives
More
  #10  
Old 12/12/2004, 08:20 PM
kmk2307 kmk2307 is offline
Team RC Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Normal, IL
Posts: 4,590
Brad,

Very few cuttlefish are available in the hobby. www.liveaquaria.com may have one species for sale.

Kevin
__________________
Got brown bodies? Call Dr. Bryan Zoa, Doctor of Ectoproctology.
  #11  
Old 12/24/2004, 01:17 AM
LisaD LisaD is offline
Team RC Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 2,366
Kevin,

Great write-up!

Off-topic, I know, but what is that in your avatar? It looks like a water bear (tardigrade) to me. Just curious...

Lisa
  #12  
Old 12/26/2004, 02:49 PM
kmk2307 kmk2307 is offline
Team RC Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Normal, IL
Posts: 4,590
High five, Lisa! It is a tardigrade! I think I need to find another spiffy invertebrate to replace that with. It's been the same for about a year now.

Thanks,
Kevin
__________________
Got brown bodies? Call Dr. Bryan Zoa, Doctor of Ectoproctology.
  #13  
Old 02/01/2005, 08:39 PM
Key Of David Key Of David is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Lexington, SC
Posts: 89
FYI the folks at GARF have been keeping rare nautilus with success. You may want to give their website a looksee.
__________________
Love Your Enemies.
  #14  
Old 06/10/2005, 05:28 AM
Kelmen Kelmen is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Malaysia
Posts: 467
Quote:
Originally posted by kmk2307
...somethingapod...their amphipod...
LOL

Actually... this is my 1st time into this subforum.... and I really thought this is for the something-a-pod ! LOL

I would highly suggest put some additional info and the subforum name, maybe like Cephalopods (squid like invertebrate)
Or something in common more better to replace the red one.

Else, many guys like me will definately hit into these subforum. I can tell you many are interested in the PODS.
Not to mention some don't bother to read sticky thread.
Save their (my) time from entering, as well as some igonarants.

  #15  
Old 07/24/2005, 12:01 AM
titleist titleist is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Nampa, Idaho
Posts: 54
How do these creatures do in a reef aquarium? Special needs, tank size, bennifits, etc........
  #16  
Old 07/24/2005, 08:55 AM
LisaD LisaD is offline
Team RC Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 2,366
Define reef. They would eat crabs, shrimp and many or all of the fish. They knock down and mover rocks (especially octopus) so corals could be toast too...
  #17  
Old 10/07/2006, 07:04 PM
LisaD LisaD is offline
Team RC Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 2,366
troll
  #18  
Old 02/23/2007, 10:42 AM
Jesse-KT Jesse-KT is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 88
What is the largest kind of octo for sale?
  #19  
Old 10/27/2007, 01:33 AM
Ranzan Ranzan is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Parksville Vancouver island BC canada
Posts: 353
if your reallllyyy ambitous and you can supply a 20,000 gal tank you could get your hands on a giant pacific octo second largest species of octo in the world but its very unlikely for a hobbiest to do something like that. Plus im sure the cost of one of these would be well in the 5,000+ range. these are also very large and can weigh upto 50kg on average
__________________
We trained him wrong on purpose... As a joke.

Last edited by Ranzan; 10/27/2007 at 01:39 AM.
 

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:48 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Use of this web site is subject to the terms and conditions described in the user agreement.
Reef Central™ Reef Central, LLC. Copyright ©1999-2009