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Octopuses

30 kinds of octopuses described and visualized

Octopuses are soft-bodied marine animals belonging to the order Octopoda, distinguished by their eight flexible arms and remarkable intelligence. Found in oceans worldwide, these cephalopods captivate with their unique anatomy, complex behaviors, and adaptability to diverse marine environments.

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Collage of 12 kinds of Octopuses - including maori octopus, big blue octopus, and webbed octopus
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Kinds of Octopuses

Origin Story

The evolutionary journey of octopuses traces back hundreds of millions of years within the class Cephalopoda. Emerging from ancient molluscan ancestors, octopuses adapted to marine habitats across the globe, diversifying into species that inhabit shallow coastal waters to the deep sea. Their origins reflect a long history of specialization, including the development of advanced nervous systems and camouflage abilities that have enabled their survival in varied oceanic niches.

Classification

Octopuses belong to the order Octopoda within the class Cephalopoda, part of the phylum Mollusca. This order is divided mainly into two suborders: Incirrina, which includes most benthic, finless octopuses commonly encountered near the sea floor, and Cirrina, comprising finned, deep-sea species. Families such as Octopodidae and Amphitretidae group genera like Octopus and Grimpoteuthis. This hierarchical structure reflects both morphological traits and genetic relationships, providing a framework for studying their diversity and evolution.

Appearance or Form

Octopuses exhibit a distinctive body plan characterized by a bulbous head, large eyes, and eight highly flexible arms lined with suction cups. Their soft, boneless bodies allow them to squeeze through narrow spaces, while many species can change skin color and texture for camouflage or communication. Some deep-sea octopuses possess fins for swimming, contrasting with the finless forms common in coastal species. Their appearance varies widely, from the familiar reddish-brown hues of common octopuses to the ghostly translucence of deep-ocean dwellers.

Behavior or Usage

Octopuses are renowned for their intelligence, exhibiting problem-solving skills, tool use, and complex hunting strategies. They primarily feed on crustaceans, mollusks, and fish, using their arms and beak to capture and consume prey. For humans, octopuses hold culinary value in many cultures and are subjects of scientific research due to their cognitive abilities. Additionally, they play vital ecological roles as both predators and prey within marine ecosystems.

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Maori Octopus

Maori Octopus

The Maori octopus (Octopus maorum) is a large, muscular octopus species native to the coastal waters of New Zealand and southern Australia, recognized for its striking reddish-brown skin adorned with white spots and impressive arm span exceeding two meters.

Big Blue Octopus

Big Blue Octopus

The Big Blue Octopus (Octopus cyanea) is a large, vibrant octopus species native to the tropical Indo-Pacific, known for its striking coloration and adaptability across coral reefs and rocky habitats.

Webbed Octopus

Webbed Octopus

The Webbed Octopus (Bathypolypus arcticus) is a small, deep-sea octopus species native to the cold waters of the North Atlantic, distinguished by its webbed arms and compact body adapted for life in dark, high-pressure environments.

Musky Octopus

Musky Octopus

The Musky Octopus (Eledone moschata) is a medium-sized Mediterranean cephalopod distinguished by its smooth body, single row of suckers per arm, and a characteristic musky odor.

East Pacific Red Octopus

East Pacific Red Octopus

The East Pacific Red Octopus (Octopus rubescens) is a small to medium-sized octopus native to the northeastern Pacific Ocean, recognized for its vibrant reddish coloration and adaptability to diverse coastal habitats.

Argonaut Octopus

Argonaut Octopus

The Argonaut octopus is a pelagic cephalopod known for the female's unique ability to produce a delicate, paper-thin shell called an eggcase, which serves as a brood chamber and aids in buoyancy.

Seven-Arm Octopus

Seven-Arm Octopus

The Seven-Arm Octopus (Haliphron atlanticus) is a deep-sea species renowned as one of the largest octopuses, notable for males appearing to have only seven arms due to a concealed reproductive arm.

Blue-Ringed Octopus

Blue-Ringed Octopus

The blue-ringed octopus is a small but highly venomous marine cephalopod known for its vivid iridescent blue rings that flash as a warning signal.

Common Octopus

Common Octopus

The Common Octopus (Octopus vulgaris) is a widely distributed marine mollusk known for its intelligence, adaptability, and significance in global fisheries and research.

Pelagic Octopus

Pelagic Octopus

The pelagic octopus (Ocythoe tuberculata) is a unique open-ocean cephalopod distinguished by its gelatinous, semi-transparent body and life spent entirely in the pelagic zone of the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean.

Polpo Liscio

Polpo Liscio

The Smooth Skin Octopus (Octopus defilippi) is a small to medium-sized benthic octopus known for its notably smooth, soft skin and subtle coloration, inhabiting the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic Ocean.

Wolfi Octopus

Wolfi Octopus

Octopus wolfi is the smallest known species of octopus, remarkable for its tiny size and distinctive webbed arms that create an umbrella-like shape.

Atlantic Armhook Octopus

Atlantic Armhook Octopus

The Atlantic Armhook Octopus (Japetella diaphana) is a small, deep-sea octopus known for its nearly transparent body and distinctive bioluminescent organs.

California Two-Spot Octopus

California Two-Spot Octopus

The California Two-Spot Octopus (Octopus bimaculoides) is a medium-sized, intelligent cephalopod native to the eastern Pacific, easily recognized by the two distinctive blue circular spots on either side of its head.

Curled Octopus

Curled Octopus

The Curled Octopus (Eledone cirrhosa) is a medium-sized benthic octopus native to the Northeast Atlantic, recognized for its distinctive curled arms and single row of suckers.

Atlantic Pygmy Octopus

Atlantic Pygmy Octopus

The Atlantic Pygmy Octopus (Octopus joubini) is a small, adaptable cephalopod native to shallow coastal waters of the western Atlantic, known for its rapid color changes and cryptic behavior.

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Cultural Significance

Throughout history, octopuses have inspired myths, art, and literature, symbolizing mystery, adaptability, and intelligence. In various cultures, they appear as sea monsters or guardians of the ocean, while modern media often highlights their cleverness and enigmatic nature. Culinary traditions in Mediterranean, Asian, and other coastal regions celebrate octopus dishes, reflecting their economic and cultural importance worldwide.

Notable Facts

  • Octopuses have three hearts and blue blood, adapted for oxygen transport in marine environments.
  • They can regenerate lost arms, enhancing survival after injury.
  • Some species use ink clouds to evade predators, a unique defense mechanism.
  • The giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) can weigh over 70 kilograms and span up to 5 meters in arm length.
  • Octopuses possess highly developed nervous systems, with more neurons in their arms than in their brains, allowing independent arm movement.

Kinds of Octopuses

Explore the range of forms, textures, and traditions within this collection.

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Editorial-style photograph of a Maori Octopus from the taxonomy octopuses, positioned dramatically against a dark or gradient background with focused lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Maori Octopus

The Maori octopus (Octopus maorum) is a large, muscular octopus species native to the coastal waters of New Zealand and southern Australia, recognized for its striking reddish-brown skin adorned with white spots and impressive arm span exceeding two meters.

Editorial-style photograph of a Big Blue Octopus from the taxonomy octopuses, positioned dramatically against a dark or gradient background with focused lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Big Blue Octopus

The Big Blue Octopus (Octopus cyanea) is a large, vibrant octopus species native to the tropical Indo-Pacific, known for its striking coloration and adaptability across coral reefs and rocky habitats.

Editorial-style photograph of a Webbed Octopus from the taxonomy octopuses, positioned dramatically against a dark or gradient background with focused lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Webbed Octopus

The Webbed Octopus (Bathypolypus arcticus) is a small, deep-sea octopus species native to the cold waters of the North Atlantic, distinguished by its webbed arms and compact body adapted for life in dark, high-pressure environments.

Editorial-style photograph of a Musky Octopus from the taxonomy octopuses, positioned dramatically against a dark or gradient background with focused lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Musky Octopus

The Musky Octopus (Eledone moschata) is a medium-sized Mediterranean cephalopod distinguished by its smooth body, single row of suckers per arm, and a characteristic musky odor.

Editorial-style photograph of a East Pacific Red Octopus from the taxonomy octopuses, positioned dramatically against a dark or gradient background with focused lighting to emphasize texture and color.

East Pacific Red Octopus

The East Pacific Red Octopus (Octopus rubescens) is a small to medium-sized octopus native to the northeastern Pacific Ocean, recognized for its vibrant reddish coloration and adaptability to diverse coastal habitats.

Editorial-style photograph of a Argonaut Octopus from the taxonomy octopuses, positioned dramatically against a dark or gradient background with focused lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Argonaut Octopus

The Argonaut octopus is a pelagic cephalopod known for the female's unique ability to produce a delicate, paper-thin shell called an eggcase, which serves as a brood chamber and aids in buoyancy.

Editorial-style photograph of a Seven-Arm Octopus from the taxonomy octopuses, positioned dramatically against a dark or gradient background with focused lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Seven-Arm Octopus

The Seven-Arm Octopus (Haliphron atlanticus) is a deep-sea species renowned as one of the largest octopuses, notable for males appearing to have only seven arms due to a concealed reproductive arm.

Editorial-style photograph of a Blue-Ringed Octopus from the taxonomy octopuses, positioned dramatically against a dark or gradient background with focused lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Blue-Ringed Octopus

The blue-ringed octopus is a small but highly venomous marine cephalopod known for its vivid iridescent blue rings that flash as a warning signal.

Editorial-style photograph of a Common Octopus from the taxonomy octopuses, positioned dramatically against a dark or gradient background with focused lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Common Octopus

The Common Octopus (Octopus vulgaris) is a widely distributed marine mollusk known for its intelligence, adaptability, and significance in global fisheries and research.

Editorial-style photograph of a Pelagic Octopus from the taxonomy octopuses, positioned dramatically against a dark or gradient background with focused lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Pelagic Octopus

The pelagic octopus (Ocythoe tuberculata) is a unique open-ocean cephalopod distinguished by its gelatinous, semi-transparent body and life spent entirely in the pelagic zone of the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean.

Editorial-style photograph of a Smooth Skin Octopus from the taxonomy octopuses, positioned dramatically against a dark or gradient background with focused lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Polpo Liscio

The Smooth Skin Octopus (Octopus defilippi) is a small to medium-sized benthic octopus known for its notably smooth, soft skin and subtle coloration, inhabiting the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic Ocean.

Editorial-style photograph of a Octopus Wolfi from the taxonomy octopuses, positioned dramatically against a dark or gradient background with focused lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Wolfi Octopus

Octopus wolfi is the smallest known species of octopus, remarkable for its tiny size and distinctive webbed arms that create an umbrella-like shape.

Editorial-style photograph of a Atlantic Armhook Octopus from the taxonomy octopuses, positioned dramatically against a dark or gradient background with focused lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Atlantic Armhook Octopus

The Atlantic Armhook Octopus (Japetella diaphana) is a small, deep-sea octopus known for its nearly transparent body and distinctive bioluminescent organs.

Editorial-style photograph of a California Two-Spot Octopus from the taxonomy octopuses, positioned dramatically against a dark or gradient background with focused lighting to emphasize texture and color.

California Two-Spot Octopus

The California Two-Spot Octopus (Octopus bimaculoides) is a medium-sized, intelligent cephalopod native to the eastern Pacific, easily recognized by the two distinctive blue circular spots on either side of its head.

Editorial-style photograph of a Curled Octopus from the taxonomy octopuses, positioned dramatically against a dark or gradient background with focused lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Curled Octopus

The Curled Octopus (Eledone cirrhosa) is a medium-sized benthic octopus native to the Northeast Atlantic, recognized for its distinctive curled arms and single row of suckers.

Editorial-style photograph of a Atlantic Pygmy Octopus from the taxonomy octopuses, positioned dramatically against a dark or gradient background with focused lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Atlantic Pygmy Octopus

The Atlantic Pygmy Octopus (Octopus joubini) is a small, adaptable cephalopod native to shallow coastal waters of the western Atlantic, known for its rapid color changes and cryptic behavior.

Editorial-style photograph of a Mimic Octopus from the taxonomy octopuses, positioned dramatically against a dark or gradient background with focused lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Mimic Octopus

The Mimic Octopus (Thaumoctopus mimicus) is a medium-sized cephalopod famed for its extraordinary ability to impersonate a variety of marine animals through adaptive coloration and flexible body postures.

Editorial-style photograph of a Giant Pacific Octopus from the taxonomy octopuses, positioned dramatically against a dark or gradient background with focused lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Giant Pacific Octopus

The Giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) is the largest known octopus species, renowned for its immense size, intelligence, and adaptability to cold North Pacific coastal waters.

Editorial-style photograph of a Smooth Octopus from the taxonomy octopuses, positioned dramatically against a dark or gradient background with focused lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Smooth Octopus

The Smooth Octopus (Octopus superciliosus) is a lesser-known octopus species native to the Indo-Pacific, recognized for its distinctly smooth skin and subtle coloration.

Editorial-style photograph of a Atlantic White-Spotted Octopus from the taxonomy octopuses, positioned dramatically against a dark or gradient background with focused lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Atlantic White-Spotted Octopus

The Atlantic White-Spotted Octopus (Callistoctopus macropus) is a medium-sized cephalopod recognized by its vivid deep red body adorned with numerous bright white spots, inhabiting shallow coastal waters of the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic Ocean.

Editorial-style photograph of a Dumbo Octopus from the taxonomy octopuses, positioned dramatically against a dark or gradient background with focused lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Dumbo Octopus

The Dumbo octopus is a deep-sea cephalopod of the genus Grimpoteuthis, distinguished by its ear-like fins that resemble the Disney character Dumbo's ears.

Editorial-style photograph of a Caribbean Reef Octopus from the taxonomy octopuses, positioned dramatically against a dark or gradient background with focused lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Caribbean Reef Octopus

The Caribbean Reef Octopus (Octopus briareus) is a vibrant, medium-sized cephalopod known for its striking blue-green coloration and remarkable ability to change color for camouflage and communication.

Editorial-style photograph of a Greater Blue-Ringed Octopus from the taxonomy octopuses, positioned dramatically against a dark or gradient background with focused lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Greater Blue-Ringed Octopus

The Greater Blue-Ringed Octopus (Hapalochlaena lunulata) is a small but highly venomous marine cephalopod known for its vivid blue rings and potent neurotoxin, native to the tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific waters.

Editorial-style photograph of a Veined Octopus from the taxonomy octopuses, positioned dramatically against a dark or gradient background with focused lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Veined Octopus

The Veined Octopus (Amphioctopus marginatus) is a medium-sized, highly intelligent cephalopod native to the Indo-Pacific, renowned for its distinctive veined appearance and unique tool-use behaviors.

Editorial-style photograph of a Vampire Octopus from the taxonomy octopuses, positioned dramatically against a dark or gradient background with focused lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Vampire Octopus

The Vampire Octopus (Vampyroteuthis infernalis) is a deep-sea cephalopod known for its dark, gelatinous body and unique adaptations to low-oxygen environments, making it a singular and enigmatic member of the octopus order.

Editorial-style photograph of a Algae Octopus from the taxonomy octopuses, positioned dramatically against a dark or gradient background with focused lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Algae Octopus

The Algae Octopus (Abdopus aculeatus) is a small, highly adaptable octopus species known for its unique ability to "walk" on land between tide pools and its exceptional camouflage among algae and seagrass.

Editorial-style photograph of a Southern Blue-Ringed Octopus from the taxonomy octopuses, positioned dramatically against a dark or gradient background with focused lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Southern Blue-Ringed Octopus

The Southern Blue-Ringed Octopus (Hapalochlaena maculosa) is a small yet highly venomous marine cephalopod native to southern Australia, instantly recognizable by its vivid blue rings that glow when threatened.

Editorial-style photograph of a Blanket Octopus from the taxonomy octopuses, positioned dramatically against a dark or gradient background with focused lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Blanket Octopus

The blanket octopus (Tremoctopus violaceus) is a striking pelagic octopus known for its extreme sexual dimorphism and large, colorful webbed membranes that resemble a flowing blanket.

Editorial-style photograph of a Flapjack Octopus from the taxonomy octopuses, positioned dramatically against a dark or gradient background with focused lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Flapjack Octopus

The Flapjack Octopus is a group of deep-sea octopuses within the genus Opisthoteuthis, recognized for their flattened, gelatinous bodies and umbrella-like webbing connecting their arms.

Editorial-style photograph of a Sandbird Octopus from the taxonomy octopuses, positioned dramatically against a dark or gradient background with focused lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Sandbird Octopus

The Sandbird Octopus (Octopus aegina) is a medium-sized benthic cephalopod known for its sandy coloration and widespread presence throughout the Indo-Pacific coastal waters.

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Common Questions

FAQ

Q: Are octopuses fish?
A: No, octopuses are mollusks, not fish, belonging to the class Cephalopoda.

Q: How do octopuses escape predators?
A: They use camouflage, ink clouds, and rapid jet propulsion to evade threats.

Q: Can octopuses live outside water?
A: Octopuses require water to breathe and survive, though some can briefly survive out of water in moist environments.

�Every taxonomy ends in another horizon of meaning.�

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