Giant Pacific Octopus

(Enteroctopus dofleini)

Find Me In
Jules Verne
IUCN Conservation Status
Least Concern (LC)

Habitat/Range

Temperate waters of the Pacific Ocean from Japan to Alaska and California

Size

Size: 6.5-10.5 feet (Body up to 2 feet and up to 13 feet arm span)

Lifespan: 3-5 years

Weight: 22-110 lbs.

Diet

Shrimp, clams, lobster, and fish

Audio Tour

 

The giant Pacific octopus is the largest octopus species in the world, with eight arms, each covered with more than 280 suction cups (about 2,240 in total). These suction cups are covered in taste buds, so if an octopus touches something, it tastes it. The octopus can crack open crabs and other hard-shelled aquatic animals using its parrot-like beak, which is the only hard part of its body. Since the rest of its body is soft and squishy, an octopus can squeeze through any opening bigger than its beak –about the size of a quarter.

Things To Know


Types
Invertebrates



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