| Octopus cyanea is a shallow-water octopus of Indo-Pacific distribution that serves as the primary catch of an important artisanal fishery in Kaneohe Bay, O'ahu, Hawai'i. This study aimed to develop acoustic telemetry techniques for octopus research, and to quantify the small-scale movement patterns and habitat use of O. cyanea in Hawaiian waters. Techniques for transmitter attachment were developed and tested in the laboratory and field; attachment to the interior dorsal mantle musculature provided an average of 15 days retention. Comparisons of ethanol and magnesium chloride anesthesia found them both to be effective and ethanol more field-practical. Effects of carrying transmitters on movement through small spaces were found to be negligible. With each foray, tracked octopuses, on average, covered 87 m2 on 57 m-long routes that ranged 14 m from their starting point. Tagged octopuses tended to emigrate from their dens on the reef flat to sites on the reef slopes. |
