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Science AMA Series: I’m Rich Ross, husbandry biologist specializing in cephalopods and coral. It’s World Octopus Day, AMA!
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Abstract

Hey Reddit! I’m Rich Ross, a husbandry biologist specializing in cephalopods and coral at the California Academy of Sciences’ Steinhart Aquarium. I keep weird and unique animals thriving and breeding in aquariums, as well as do fieldwork on coral spawning and animal-collection for display and animal-behavior studies. Cephalopods are the coolest animals on the planet (3 hearts, blue blood, ring-shaped brain, related to snails, like something from a Harryhausen movie and secretly plotting to take over the world), and I’ve been working with them for almost 20 years. I was the first to close the lifecycle of the dwarf cuttlefish, and my colleagues and I recently published a paper on the breeding and behavior of the currently undescribed Larger Pacific Striped Octopus—an octopus that does things very differently from other octopuses (like beak-to-beak mating). I’ll be answering questions starting at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET, and you can find me anytime on Twitter or packhead.net. Also accepting questions about juggling, martial arts, glassblowing, and hairless dogs. It is 12:11 and I have to run to do some work stuff. I’ll check back in tonight around 6 pm Pacific Time to answer any follow ups or questions I missed. Thanks! 8pm, I think I got everyone, I’ll check back again tomorrow.