Top 10 famous octopus species

Octopus, commonly known as octopus, is a mollusk widely distributed in tropical and temperate waters, with many species. Some octopuses are colorful, while others are highly poisonous. So, which octopuses are edible? Common edible octopuses include true octopus, long octopus, short octopus, egg octopus, two-spot octopus, spindle octopus, striped octopus, water octopus, small hole octopus and eastern octopus. Below, the editor has sorted out the top ten well-known octopus species for everyone. Let us learn about the classification and related information of octopus together!

Octopus is the general name for all animals under the order Octopoda, while cuttlefish and squid are animals under the order Decapoda, and are also the easiest to distinguish. Just count the tentacles. Octopus has 8 tentacles, and cuttlefish or squid has 10 tentacles.

1. True octopus (about 50cm long, distributed in waters except the Antarctic and Arctic)

True octopus, also known as true octopus or common octopus, is one of the most common edible octopuses. This octopus is widely distributed, and has been captured in almost all major seas in the world except the Antarctic and Arctic waters. They usually lurk in the sand and mud bottom or in the cracks of reefs during the day, and actively hunt at night. Octopuses grow rapidly, and their weight can increase up to 100 times within six months of birth.

Octopuses are medium-sized, with a short body that is subcircular or oval, and four arms of similar length. Generally, the total length of an octopus can reach 50 cm, with a brown body color and obvious gray-white spots on the back. In the market, octopuses are usually sold in three forms: fresh, cooked, and dried. Fresh octopuses taste excellent, and the color after cooking is attractive and easy to preserve, while dried octopuses are a concentrated delicacy.

2. Long-legged octopus (body length 50-70cm, distributed along the northwest Pacific coast)

Long-legged octopus is also known as long-legged octopus or thin-legged octopus. Its arms and legs can be more than five times longer than its body, with an overall length of 50 to 70 cm. Its body is long and oval, with a smooth surface. The length of its arms and legs varies, and its body is generally pink. Long octopus is usually found along the northwest Pacific coast, with the main production areas including the Korean Peninsula and the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea coasts of China, especially in Shandong and Liaoning.

Whenever the tide is low, it is a good time to catch long octopus. The essence of long octopus lies in its slender arms and legs, which are delicious and chewy. In addition to common cooking methods, it is also very suitable for eating raw or hot pot.

3. Short octopus (body length does not exceed 20cm, distributed in China/Japan)

Short octopus is usually called rice octopus or short-clawed octopus. It is a small octopus with relatively short arms and legs, almost equal to the length of the body, usually no longer than 20 cm. The short octopus has a pair of golden rings on its body, which is its distinctive feature. The overall color is yellow-brown, with a darker color on the back and a lighter color on the abdomen.

The short octopus is mainly distributed in the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, East China Sea, South China Sea and the waters of the Japanese archipelago in China. Its fishing season is mainly concentrated in spring and autumn: spring is from March to May, and autumn is from September to November. The meat of the short octopus is tender and is very popular whether it is eaten fresh or dried. The plump fish eggs in the belly of the short octopus in the breeding season are like crystal clear sticky rice when cooked, which is very delicious.

4. Ovum (body length about 4cm, distributed in the East China Sea/South China Sea/Japanese Islands)

Ovum is a common type of octopus, belonging to small and medium-sized, with a body length of about 4cm. It is mainly distributed in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, as well as the southern waters of the Japanese Islands, usually living in muddy or soft mud bottom environments with a depth of 20 to 180 meters. The life span of the octopus is about 1 year, and it will die after spawning. Its eggs are in the shape of rice grains, about 3mm long and about 1.5mm short, usually rooted in fine seaweed, and each spike can produce 40 to 50 eggs.

The surface of the egg octopus is covered with many nearly round small particles, and there is a nearly oval brown-black patch under each eye with a purple circle inside. Its arms are short, and the length of each arm is roughly the same, up to 3 to 4 times the length of its body, and each arm has two rows of suckers.

5. Two-spot octopus (up to 12cm in length, distributed in South Asia/Central America)

The two-spot octopus is named for the large black round spot between its second and third pairs of tentacles. It is a common octopus species. The two-spot octopus is mainly distributed in South Asia and Central America. It is also common in the East my country Sea, South China Sea, Malay Archipelago, Hawaiian Islands, California, San Salvador, Panama, Sri Lanka, India and other waters. They usually live in caves, under rocks and in crevices of reefs.

The body of the two-spot octopus is oval, smooth, with some irregular warts and reticular stripes. Between the second and third pairs of tentacles in front of each eye, black round spots can be seen, with irregular black patterns on the outside. Their tentacles are about four to five times the length of the body, and the maximum body length of the known adult can reach 120 mm.

6. Spindle octopus (up to 5cm in length, distributed in the Malay Archipelago/India)

The spindle octopus is an edible octopus shaped like a spindle, with tender meat, plump body, thick and plump claws, and a chewy and elastic taste. Its carcass is about three times longer than its width. The maximum carcass length of an adult individual is known to be 50 mm. Its body surface is smooth without any spots, and the pigment particles are very small. Its arm length is six to seven times the length of its carcass, and the suckers of its arm are arranged in two rows. The spindle octopus adapts to warmer waters and is mainly distributed in the Malay Archipelago and the southern Indian waters. In China, it is mainly found in the waters of southern Fujian and south of it, usually living in the muddy bottom tens of meters deep.

7. Striped octopus (carcass length up to 10 cm, distributed in China/Japan/Australia)

Striped octopus (also known as edge octopus or striped octopus) is a small edible octopus. Its carcass is oval, with a rough surface and many small particles. It is dark brown in color, with a darker back and white belly and wrist. The belly of the striped octopus is about 76 mm long and weighs 300 grams. The maximum carcass length can reach 100 mm and weigh up to 600 grams. There are obvious longitudinal stripes on the sides.

This octopus is widely distributed in the East China Sea, the South China Sea, southern Japan, Southeast Asia, Australia, the Red Sea and eastern Africa. It is a common octopus variety in the market. Similar to other octopuses, the striped octopus has a very tough and chewy taste, which makes people feel very chewy.

8. Octopus (body length over 3m, distributed in the Pacific Ocean)

Octopus refers to the giant North Pacific octopus, a large octopus. The tentacles of this octopus can be over three meters when fully extended, and the weight can reach tens of kilograms. Its head is large and round, usually reddish brown, and has unique pigment cells that can change color. Octopus is widely distributed in different waters of the Pacific Ocean, from Southern California to Alaska, from the west of the Aleutian Islands to Japan.

Due to its high water content, it is called octopus. Its meat is soft, and because of its large size, it is usually cut and sold in the market. Octopus has rich meat, so it is very cost-effective and is a popular octopus species in the market.

9. Octopus micropyle (up to 18cm long, distributed in Southeast Asia)

Octopus micropyle is one of the smallest octopuses. It is mainly distributed in the waters of the Philippine Islands, Sulawesi Island, Malaysia, India and Pakistan. It likes warm water environments and has a small range of adaptability to temperature changes. It usually lives in high-temperature and high-salt waters and lives in the muddy seabed from the coast to 50 meters deep. The maximum carcass length of Octopus micropyle is known to be 18 cm. The carcass is oval, with a smooth surface and soft meat. It has long arms, which are about 6 to 7 times the length of the carcass. There is a small sac at the base of each arm, which is connected to the outside.

Due to its small size, it is usually cooked whole. Common ways to eat it include blanched small octopus and grilled small octopus with sauce.

10. Eastern octopus (up to 16cm in length, distributed in the Japanese Archipelago/Malay Archipelago)

Eastern octopus is delicious and has a certain ornamental value. It has an oval shape, a rough surface, and is covered with many round particles of varying sizes, arranged in ridges. The arm of the Eastern octopus is long, about 3 to 4 times the length of the body, and the length of each arm is similar. The maximum body length can reach 160 mm. It is mainly distributed in the waters of the southern Japanese archipelago and the Malay Archipelago. Eastern octopus can also be found in the East China Sea and the South China Sea in my country.

In seafood markets, octopus is available almost all year round. Some small individuals can be seen in spring, and sometimes they are even sold as ornamental fish. As a small octopus, octopus is very easy to handle. Whether it is steamed, blanched or stir-fried, it is very delicious.

animal tags： octopus