The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-09-11
AN OCTOPUS IN CAPTIVITY.
Net the Biggest That Fever Was, but
Still is Interesting.

Net the Biggest That Fever Was, but
Still is Interesting.
The Aquarium has an octopus. 1t
came on Friday on the steamer TRIM
dad from Bermuda along with the
Aquarium's second importation for the
season of bright-colored tropical fishes
from Bermuda waters. From tip to tip
of it's extended arms across it.; body
this octopus measures about three feet;
a pigmy as compared WITH tne SIa1J
creatures seen in the pictures, thrash
ing their arms about or draggics Guwy.
tl.eir prey; but big enough ami ugly
enough to be decidedly uapl@a5 All
object.
Inc Aquarium has had two other
specimens of the octopus, including ore
That was larger than that just r-c4lN-
ed, but neither was in other respects
SO good a specimen. One of them Ii
fact was never exhibited; it died in the
reserve tank in which 1T had been plac-
ed to recuperate after its voyage nisher.
The octopus stands transportation but
poorly, and is delicate in captivity. The
other was exhibited, but lived only u
short time, and its respiration was So
feeble as scarcely to be discernible
through the movement of it's body. 1t
lay upon the bottom of the tank an in
ert mass. This one Is in very good
condition and it's body can De seer. to
expand and contract as it opens and
closes its gills in breathing.
! AS it lies on the bottom the octopus
suggests at once the idea OF a great
each curled up in a coil by itself. close
to the body, and these are then not dt
all like a spiders legs, but it's head
and its Dubious body are in appearance
spider. When quiet 1t carries its arms
spidery. Its skin looks somewhat like
soft. wrinkled leather. In color the &C.
topus Is commonly of dingy white
but like many other creatures of the
sea 1t changes color greatly and easily
and quickly. 1t changes, for instan.s
to sort of brindled or rusty red effect
notified CT with broad stripes of tina
tint shading lighter at the edges 'anC
set close together. Sometimes it get
darker still and the stripes become /;
sort of maroon color.
on the under side of each of its arm
the octopus has scores of sucking disks
scattered along from it's body to the til
of the arm these disks varying in size
, being largest near the body, and de
creasing to little ones at the end of
tapering arm; by means of these
could hold to and draw itself alon
upon anything that it could not get it
arms around; as, for instance, it coul
readily crawl up the SIDE of the tan
I in which it now is at the Aquarium
t and ii it were not prevented, raise tn
D wire screen that rests upon the top @
: the tank and get out. To guard agains
that planks are laid across each en-
of the screen cover and are weighte
r down with heavy stone. The octopu
/, was brought here in a woven wire cyl
inder, closed at both ends with tn
same material, and immersed in a cas-
4: of salt water. Thus the octopus wa
t kept in its natural element and at tn
= same time kept from crawling. out
= the cask.
/ Z AS seen here in its tank, lying quies
{ cent. with it's arms curled up close
= it's sides, and it's body pulsing with il
n breathing, or, perhaps, with one or tw
5 of it's arms, attached by their suckin
g disks, stretching up like vines again!
: a wall of the tank, while on the otht
f side of its body it waves one or two
s its arms slowly about in the water, tn
n little octopus is certainly not agreeab
d TO the eye, but it is. nevertheless, q
:, object OF decided interest.-New YoI
n Sun.