Octopus information
Diet, habitat, lifespan, size and speed for the Octopus, from the Animalsss field guide — with market prices, listings and guides as they arrive.
About Octopus
An octopus is a soft-bodied, eight-limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda. The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids, cuttlefish, and nautiloids. Like other cephalopods, an octopus is bilaterally symmetric with two eyes and a beaked mouth at the centre point of the eight limbs. An octopus can radically deform its shape, enabling it to squeeze through small gaps. They trail their appendages behind them as they swim backwards. The siphon is used for respiration and locomotion. Octopuses have a complex nervous system and excellent sight, and are among the most intelligent and behaviourally diverse invertebrates.
Octopus facts & figures
Quick facts
- Scientific name
- Octopus vulgaris
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Habitat
- Oceans & reefs
- A group is called
- Solitary
Conservation status
Source: IUCN Red List via GBIF
Classification
- Kingdom Animalia
- Phylum Mollusca
- Class Cephalopoda
- Order Octopoda
- Family Octopodidae
- Genus Octopus
- Species Octopus vulgaris
Source: GBIF
Specs
Typical adult range
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Post a Free AdOctopus — questions people ask
What is the scientific name of the Octopus?
Octopus vulgaris. In the GBIF backbone taxonomy it sits in Class Cephalopoda, Order Octopoda, Family Octopodidae.
Is the Octopus endangered?
The IUCN Red List category recorded for Octopus vulgaris is Least Concern (LC), read from the Red List category GBIF publishes for that taxon.
How long does an Octopus live?
1 to 5 years, from the field-guide figures shown on this page.
What does an Octopus eat?
Carnivore. Its usual habitat is oceans & reefs.
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