Photo: H. Zell · Image source ·CC BY-SA 3.0
Animal profile · Mollusks · Octopus
Common octopus
Octopus vulgaris
The common octopus is a soft-bodied marine hunter with eight flexible arms and remarkable camouflage. It lives on the seafloor and can squeeze through surprisingly small openings.
Not a fish · an aquatic neighborWater
Saltwater
Rocky, sandy, and muddy coastal seafloors, often near reefs, caves, and crevices.
Temperature
Range not established
A dependable species-specific wild temperature range was not found; the species occupies waters with substantial geographic and seasonal variation.
Size
Up to about 1 m (3.3 ft) across with arms extended
About as wide as a small dining table
Lifespan
Usually about 1–2 years, though some individuals may live longer.
Life expectancy varies with place, conditions, and what scientists have been able to observe.
01 · Signature adaptation
What does it do?
It is mostly solitary and spends much of its time in a den. It hunts by crawling, jetting, and probing crevices, and may use ink while escaping danger.
02 · Home coordinates
Where does it live?
Broadly distributed in temperate and tropical coastal waters of the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Indian, and Pacific oceans.
Regions: Atlantic Ocean · Mediterranean Sea · Indian Ocean · Pacific Ocean
03 · The menu
What does it eat?
It stalks prey with its arms and suckers, then bites and tears food with its beak.
Carnivore: crabs, shrimp, clams, snails, fish.
04 · Remember this
Two wow facts
Three hearts
It has three hearts: two pump blood through the gills and one pumps it around the body.
Sources [2] [1]
Ink escape
When threatened, it can release a dark ink cloud that distracts predators while it jets away.
Sources [2] [1]