Spider octopus (Octopus salutii)
Key facts
- Scientific name
- Octopus salutii
- Common name
- Spider octopus
- Category
- Molluscs
- Family
- Octopodidae
- Genus
- Octopus
- Size
- 30–60 cm
- Depth
- 50–800 m
- IUCN status
- Least concern (LC)
- Danger level
- Harmless
- Habitats
- sand, mud
- Behaviours
- solitary, nocturnal, predator
- Ocean zones
- Asian Pacific, East Atlantic, Mediterranean
Description
Octopus salutii reaches 60 cm total length. Deep Mediterranean octopus (Octopodidae) with brown-red to brown-purple body with distinctive short dorsal cirri above eyes. Lives from 50 to 800 m on deep muddy bottoms of Mediterranean. Rarer and deeper than O. vulgaris (in seed). Deep trawl commercial fishery. Rare wide-angle photo subject of technical dives beyond 50 m, more accessible to ROVs.
Photo of Spider octopus
Frequently asked questions
- How big is the Spider octopus?
- Spider octopus (Octopus salutii) reaches 30–60 cm in length.
- At what depth can you find the Spider octopus?
- Spider octopus is found between 50–800 m deep.
- Is the Spider octopus dangerous to divers?
- Danger level: Harmless.
- What is the conservation status of the Spider octopus?
- IUCN status: Least concern (LC).
- Where can you find the Spider octopus?
- Found in: Asian Pacific, East Atlantic, Mediterranean.
Other species in the genus Octopus
- Octopus vulgaris - Common octopus
- Octopus mototi - Mototi octopus
- Octopus hubbsorum - Hubbs' octopus
- Octopus macropus - White-spotted octopus
- Octopus bimaculatus - Two-spot octopus
- Octopus briareus - Caribbean reef octopus
Other species in the family Octopodidae
- Hapalochlaena lunulata - Blue-ringed octopus
- Wunderpus photogenicus - Wunderpus octopus
- Abdopus aculeatus - Algae octopus
- Thaumoctopus mimicus - Mimic octopus
- Hapalochlaena maculosa - Blue-ringed Octopus
- Pteroctopus tetracirrhus - Four-armed Octopod
Sources
- Taxonomy: WoRMS (AphiaID 140604)
- Photos: iNaturalist (CC BY-NC)
- Distribution: GBIF (taxonKey 2289518)
- Conservation: IUCN Red List
- Encyclopedia: Wikipedia