Best Octopus

The mimic octopus, Thaumoctopus mimicus, is a benthic octopus described from shallow, soft-bottom habitats in Indonesia and subsequently recorded elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific. It can alter its color, posture, movement, and body outline in ways that resemble several other animals, with commonly repo...

The giant Pacific octopus, Enteroctopus dofleini, is a large octopus native to the North Pacific, occurring from coastal East Asia across the Aleutian region to western North America. It inhabits rocky reefs, caves, and other den sites and feeds on crabs, mollusks, fish, and other marine animals. La...

The violet blanket octopus, Tremoctopus violaceus, is a pelagic cephalopod that lives in tropical and subtropical open oceans. It displays extreme sexual dimorphism: adult females can approach two metres in total length, whereas males remain only a few centimetres long. Females have expansive membra...

The glass octopus, Vitreledonella richardi, is a pelagic cephalopod in the family Vitreledonellidae that inhabits tropical and subtropical waters around the world. Its body is almost entirely transparent, with the digestive organs and eyes among the few clearly visible structures, an adaptation that...

The greater blue-ringed octopus, Hapalochlaena lunulata, is a small cephalopod found in shallow tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific. When disturbed, it displays vivid blue rings against a yellowish body as a warning signal. Its saliva contains tetrodotoxin, a potent neurotoxin that can cause paralys...

Graneledone boreopacifica is a deep-sea octopus found in the northeastern Pacific Ocean, including waters off California. A female observed at roughly 1,400 meters in Monterey Canyon guarded the same clutch of eggs for about 53 months, the longest directly documented brooding period for any animal....

The wonderpus, Wunderpus photogenicus, is a benthic octopus formally described in 2006 from shallow tropical waters of the Indo-Malayan region. It inhabits sandy and silty seafloors, where its long arms and reddish-brown body display sharply contrasting white bands and spots. Unlike the changeable m...

Hapalochlaena maculosa, the southern blue-ringed octopus, is a small cephalopod native to temperate coastal waters of southern Australia. When disturbed, it can display vivid blue rings against yellow or brown skin as a warning signal. Its saliva contains tetrodotoxin delivered through a bite, which...

Octopus cyanea, commonly called the day octopus or big blue octopus, inhabits coral reefs and shallow tropical waters across much of the Indo-Pacific. Unlike many octopuses, it commonly forages during daylight, hunting crustaceans, molluscs, and fishes among reef structures. It can rapidly alter its...

Octopus cyanea, commonly called the day octopus or big blue octopus, is a large reef-dwelling cephalopod distributed across tropical parts of the Indian and Pacific oceans. Unlike many octopuses, it commonly forages during daylight, hunting crustaceans, mollusks, and small fishes among coral and roc...

The gloomy octopus, Octopus tetricus, is a benthic octopus found in temperate coastal waters of eastern Australia, with closely related populations around New Zealand treated differently in some taxonomic accounts. It feeds on crustaceans, mollusks, and other small animals and shelters in rocky dens...

The algae octopus, Abdopus aculeatus, is a small octopus of shallow tropical and subtropical waters across the Indo-Pacific. Its mottled coloration, textured skin, and flexible posture help it resemble algae, rocks, and other features of reef-flat habitats. The species is notable for documented bipe...

The seven-arm octopus, Haliphron atlanticus, is a large pelagic octopus in the family Alloposidae and occurs in deep and open waters across multiple oceans. Females can reach much greater sizes than males, making the species one of the heaviest known octopuses. Its common name refers to the male's s...

Stauroteuthis syrtensis is a deep-sea cirrate octopus found in the North Atlantic, where it inhabits dark waters far below the surface. Structures associated with its suckers have developed into photophores that produce blue-green light, an unusual adaptation among octopuses. The light may help attr...

The blue-lined octopus, Hapalochlaena fasciata, is a small venomous cephalopod found in shallow coastal waters of eastern Australia. It is distinguished by iridescent blue lines that become conspicuous when the animal is disturbed, rather than the more ring-like markings seen in related species. Lik...

Macrotritopus defilippi is a small octopus of sandy and muddy habitats in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. When moving near the seabed, it can draw its arms together, flatten its profile, and undulate in a manner resembling a swimming flatfish, behavior that may reduce recognition by predat...

The California two-spot octopus, Octopus bimaculoides, is a small cephalopod native to coastal waters of the eastern Pacific, including southern California and Baja California. It is named for the blue-ringed eyespot located beneath each eye and commonly occupies rocky reefs and intertidal habitats....

Recognized as the world's smallest known octopus, with a mantle length under 1.5 cm, found in shallow tropical Indo-Pacific and western Atlantic reef environments.

The Caribbean reef octopus, Octopus briareus, is a large, mostly nocturnal cephalopod found on coral reefs and rocky seabeds in the western Atlantic, including the Caribbean and waters from Florida to northern South America. It can rapidly alter its color, pattern, and skin texture, with iridescent...

Opisthoteuthis californiana is a deep-sea cephalopod commonly called a flapjack octopus and classified within the family Opisthoteuthidae. It has a soft, gelatinous body, a web connecting its arms, and a pair of small fins; when resting, its flattened form contributes to the common name. It inhabits...

The Maori octopus, Macroctopus maorum, is a large benthic octopus found in coastal waters around New Zealand and southern Australia. It has long, muscular arms and occupies rocky reefs, soft sediments, and other seafloor habitats, where it preys on crustaceans, mollusks, and fish. The species is not...

Octopus chierchiae is a small octopus species of the family Octopodidae found in the tropical eastern Pacific, including waters off Central America and northern South America. It is notable among cephalopods for iteroparity: females can lay multiple clutches of eggs during their lives instead of rep...

Octopus maya is a benthic octopus native to the continental shelf around the Yucatan Peninsula, including Mexican waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Commonly called the Mexican four-eyed octopus because of the dark markings beneath its eyes, it inhabits shallow coastal areas and feeds on crustaceans and...

The ornate octopus, Callistoctopus ornatus, is a long-armed octopus in the family Octopodidae found across tropical parts of the Indo-Pacific. It is recognized by a reddish or orange-brown body patterned with contrasting pale spots, bars, and longitudinal markings, though its appearance can change t...

Callistoctopus macropus is a nocturnal octopus in the family Octopodidae, recognized by its elongated arms and conspicuous white spots on a reddish or orange body. It inhabits warm coastal waters, including parts of the Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Indo-Pacific, where it shelters in rocky crevices o...

Octopus bimaculatus, commonly called the California two-spot octopus, is a cephalopod found along the Pacific coast of California and Baja California. It is identified partly by a pair of blue, chain-patterned false eyespots below its actual eyes, although it can rapidly alter its coloration and ski...

Grimpoteuthis boylei is a species of deep-sea cirrate octopus in the family Grimpoteuthidae, a group commonly called dumbo octopuses because of the paired fins above their eyes. It inhabits deep Atlantic waters and can swim by flapping these fins, by expanding and contracting the web between its arm...

Octopus mimus is a benthic octopus found in the southeastern Pacific, particularly along the coasts of Peru and northern Chile. It inhabits rocky and sandy coastal environments, shelters in dens, and feeds on crustaceans, molluscs, and other marine animals captured with its arms and suckers. The spe...

Octopus insularis is a species of benthic octopus formally described in 2006 from tropical waters of the western Atlantic. It occurs around northeastern Brazil and oceanic islands including Fernando de Noronha, where it inhabits reefs and other shallow coastal environments. Before its recognition as...