SPECIES
Common octopus
Octopus vulgaris
A soft-bodied hunter that can reshape the colour and texture of its skin to disappear in plain sight.
The common octopus is a marine cephalopod with eight sucker-lined arms and a soft body that can enter narrow crevices.
It often shelters in a den and hunts other marine animals including crabs and molluscs.
Rapid changes in colour and skin texture help it camouflage, while ink and quick jet-propelled movement can help in escape.
What does a common octopus eat?
crabs & molluscs
Where does a common octopus live?
coastal seabed
How long does a common octopus live?
about 1–2 years
Worth knowing
- Eight arms Flexible sucker-lined limbs for touch and manipulation.
- Camouflage Skin can change colour, pattern and texture.
- 1–2 years Typical wild lifespan reported by National Geographic.
A changing face
The common octopus uses skin pigments and muscular structures to change both the colour and apparent texture of its body.
Eight searching arms
Sucker-lined arms can investigate crevices and manipulate prey, and the animal feeds on marine invertebrates including crabs and molluscs.
Coastal waters
WoRMS identifies Octopus vulgaris as an accepted marine species and records coastal-to-shelf habitats.
Human use of coastal seas
The common octopus is harvested by fisheries in different regions; this page does not infer a global trend from historical local catch reports.
The conservation situation must be interpreted from independently sourced assessments rather than from maps of observations.
Sources
Records of where it has been seen come live from GBIF; observed interactions from GloBI. Draft — not yet reviewed by a person.