Historical scientific illustration of a common octopus with eight curled arms.

Common octopus (Octopus vulgaris), historical illustration by Ernst Haeckel.

Creator: Ernst Haeckel (1834–1919)

Licence: Public domain

View image source

Species record

Common Octopus

Octopus vulgaris

Explore the Common Octopus (Octopus vulgaris) species record in The Ark Is Earth, including classification, habitat, distribution, conservation information, and sources.

Summary

Octopus vulgaris is found worldwide in temperate and tropical seas, especially along rocky coasts and on the upper continental shelf. It is an active predator of shellfish and other animals; its eight sucker-lined arms help it explore and capture prey.

Classification in this archive

  1. Kingdom: Animals
  2. Phylum: Mollusca
  3. Class: Cephalopods
  4. Order: Octopoda
  5. Family: Octopodidae
  6. Genus: Octopus

Habitat and distribution

Selected documented locations — not a complete species range.

Habitat
coastal waters, rocky coasts, upper continental shelf, shallow sublittoral
Selected regions
Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America

Conservation status

Conservation status not recorded.

Did you know?

  • A common octopus has eight arms, and each arm is lined with suckers.

Sources and attribution