TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Octopoda
Family: Octopodidae

Genus/species: Octopus (No species name at the current time).

Note: octopus chierchiae is the lesser Pacific striped octopus and has been studied more extensively .

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GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: This pigmy octopus has arms spans of some eight to 10 inches, Color varies. It can switch from a dark reddish hue to black with white stripes and spots in fluid waves and also assume different shapes, both flat and expanded. Thought to live in groups of up to 40 or more individuals in the wild.

Larger Pacific Striped Octopus 8584026008_f1f86341db_o

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Eastern Pacific off the coast of Central America. Found on sandy bottoms in intertidal areas.

DIET IN THE WILD: Shrimp, crabs and snails.Larger Pacific Striped Octopus IMG_6898

REPRODUCTION: Pairs of Larger Pacific Striped Octopuses live peacefully together in an aquarium, at times sharing a den. Mating is civil with a beak-to-beak, or sucker-to-sucker, position and their arms entwined for up to five minutes while the male inserts a sperm packet into the female. In contrast to other species which die after their first clutch of eggs this octopus lays many egg clutches in her lifetime.

REMARKS: Very rare, (Discovered 1991). Displayed only at the California Academy of Sciences.

Academy biologist Richard Ross, has spent the last 13 months raising and studying the behavior of this recently rediscovered species, along with Dr. Roy Caldwell of the University of California, Berkeley. They are currently studying the behavior of this species and working on a formal description and species name as well as are planning an expedition to observe them in their natural habitat in Nicaragua,

Reference:

California Academy of Sciences  http://www.calacademy.org/newsroom/releases/2013/rare_octopus.php

Ron’s WordPress Shortlink: http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-T5

Ron’s flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/sets/72157608597736188/with/8562294939/

California Academy of Sciences  http://bit.ly/1pgpXLI

California Academy of Sciences    http://calacademy.org/explore-science/raising-rare-octopus