This week was very exciting!
I started working on a little experiment of my own, I got to test the color range of a California Two-Spot Octopus at the REEF named Jerry. California Two-Spot octopuses have the ability to change the color of their skin to match their surroundings. I was testing to see if they can change to colors that they would not encounter in their natural environment. The California Two-Spot octopuses live in the intertidal and sub-tidal range up to about 3 meters deep in the Pacific Ocean from North California to Baja California. The colors that they mostly encounter are greys, browns, and green. They can change colors because of cells in the skin called Chromatophores. Chromatophores can reflect light and have an ink filled sac in their centre, they will expand or contract the sac to change the brightness of the color. Now knowing that they have inked filled sacs, I thought that they would only have the colors that were in their natural surroundings. I tested for colors that would be and would not be found in their surroundings.
The colors that I tested were green, pink, and blue. Jerry was able to turn different shades of green, but not blue or pink.
He could however change many different shades of grey and brown, as shown when he would hide in his tank which has many grey rocks with brown spots.
I did the experiment by putting him in 3 different color tanks and watching and recording his color and behaviour changes, 4 different times.
It was an amazing opportunity to learn about how an experiment would be set up and I also got to learn a lot about California Two-Spot octopuses.
When I was not working on the experiment, I got to help out more cleaning the tanks and taking care of the different animals. Also helping to teach during some of the programming.
One day after work I went with Lauren, the college student I am living with to downtown Santa Barbara to get presents for my sisters. We also got some delicious burgers.
I love working at the REEF and am sad to be leaving this coming Friday.The Experiment Tanks
Jerry in the control tank!
Jerry’s Home Tank
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