Which Octopus Are You Seeing?
Giant Pacific Octopus
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Scientific Name:
Enteroctopus dofleini
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Weight:
- Average 60lbs
- Up to 150lbs
Arm Span:
Life Span:
Mating:
- Terminal maters, both male and female will die after mating.
- Female will lay 20,000 to 100,000 eggs and guard them till they hatch.
- Males have a modified 3rd right arm used in mating (lacks sucker disks at the end of the arm).
Main Identifying Feature:
- Giant Pacific Octopuses do not have "eyelashes", paddle like projections under their eyes.
Coloration:
- Giant Pacific Octopuses are more red in color.
Skin Texture:
- Giant Pacific Octopuses have paddle-shaped skin projections.
Common Den Types:
- Rock piles, under rock ledges, tires, under downed pilings, old pipes.
Growth Rate:
- 1-2% of their body weight every day! Human example: gaining 2-4lbs a day.
- Largest species of octopus in the world.
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Red Octopus
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Scientific Name:
Octopus rubescens
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Weight:
Arm Span:
Life Span:
Mating:
- Terminal maters, both male and female will die after mating.
- Female will lay 20,000 to 30,000 eggs and guard them till they hatch.
- Males have a modified 3rd right arm used in mating (lacks sucker disks at the end of the arm).
Main Identifying Feature:
- Reds have "eyelashes" - three paddle like projections under their eyes called papillae (click here to see a picture).
Coloration:
- Reds are more brown/grey in color.
Skin Texture:
- Reds have rounded skin projections.
Common Den Types:
- Bottles, old barnacles, moon snail shells, under downed pilings.
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