Fish Identification

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Non-fish Identification: Find Species

Family: Octopodidae octopuses (See list of species below)

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57 species in Pacific, Northwest with fin ray counts including ? spines in dorsal and ? in anal fins (see list below)

Abdopus aculeatus [Prickly octopus]	Amphioctopus aegina [Sandbird octopus]	Amphioctopus fangsiao [Gold-spot octopus]
Amphioctopus kagoshimensis [Stareye octopus]	Amphioctopus marginatus [Veined octopus]	Amphioctopus membranaceus [Webfoot octopus]
Amphioctopus mototi [Poison ocellate octopus]	Amphioctopus neglectus [Neglected ocellate octopus]	No picture found Amphioctopus ovulum []
No picture found Bathypolypus rubrostictus []	No picture found Bathypolypus salebrosus []	Bathypurpurata profunda [Purplish octopus]
No picture found Benthoctopus fuscus []	No picture found Benthoctopus leioderma [Smoothskin octopus]	Callistoctopus luteus [Small-spot octopus]
Callistoctopus macropus [White-spotted octopus]	Callistoctopus ornatus [White-striped octopus]	No picture found Callistoctopus xiaohongxu []
No picture found Cistopus chinensis [White-spotted pouched octopus]	Cistopus indicus [Old woman octopus]	Cistopus taiwanicus [Taiwan pouched octopus]
Hapalochlaena maculosa [Southern blue-ringed octopus]	No picture found Octopus alatus []	No picture found Octopus araneoides []
No picture found Octopus areolatus []	No picture found Octopus brocki []	Octopus conispadiceus [Chestnut octopus]
Octopus cyanea [Big blue octopus]	No picture found Octopus diminutus []	Octopus dollfusi [Marbled octopus]
No picture found Octopus fujitai []	No picture found Octopus fusiformis []	No picture found Octopus globosus [Globe octopus]
No picture found Octopus hattai []	Octopus hongkongensis []	No picture found Octopus incella [Large-eared pika]
No picture found Octopus laqueus []	No picture found Octopus longispadiceus []	Octopus minor [Long arm octopus]
No picture found Octopus mutilans []	No picture found Octopus ochotensis []	No picture found Octopus oliveri []
No picture found Octopus oshimai []	No picture found Octopus parvus [Japanese pygmy octopus]	No picture found Octopus sasakii []
No picture found Octopus spinosus []	No picture found Octopus striolatus []	No picture found Octopus tenuipulvinus []
No picture found Octopus tsugarensis []	No picture found Octopus validus []	No picture found Octopus variabilis [Whiparm octopus]
Octopus vulgaris [Common octopus]	No picture found Pteroctopus eurycephala []	No picture found Pteroctopus witjazi []
No picture found Scaeurgus patagiatus []	Scaeurgus unicirrhus [Unihorn octopus]	Thaumoctopus mimicus [Mimic octopus]

57 Species of Family Octopodidae
(octopuses)

Sort by: Species Length

Scientific Name	English Name	Distribution	Max. Length (cm)
Abdopus aculeatus	Prickly octopus	Western Central Pacific.	43 TL
Amphioctopus aegina	Sandbird octopus	Indo-West Pacific	10 ML
Amphioctopus fangsiao	Gold-spot octopus	Northwest Pacific. Subtr	20 TL
Amphioctopus kagoshimensis	Stareye octopus	Northwest Pacific
Amphioctopus marginatus	Veined octopus	Indo-West Pacific.	30 TL
Amphioctopus membranaceus	Webfoot octopus	Indo-Pacific	30 TL
Amphioctopus mototi	Poison ocellate octopus	Pacific Ocean.	32 TL
Amphioctopus neglectus	Neglected ocellate octopus	Indo-West Pacific.	24.6 TL
Amphioctopus ovulum		Northwest Pacific
Bathypolypus rubrostictus		Northwest Pacific
Bathypolypus salebrosus		Northwest Pacific.
Bathypurpurata profunda	Purplish octopus	Antarctic Atlantic
Benthoctopus fuscus		Northwest Pacific
Benthoctopus leioderma	Smoothskin octopus	Northern Pacific and the
Callistoctopus luteus	Small-spot octopus	Western Pacific.	70 TL
Callistoctopus macropus	White-spotted octopus	Circumglobal in warm to t	18 ML
Callistoctopus ornatus	White-striped octopus	Indo-Pacific.	120 TL
Callistoctopus xiaohongxu		Northwest Pacific
Cistopus chinensis	White-spotted pouched octopus	Northwest Pacific
Cistopus indicus	Old woman octopus	Indo-West Pacific	100 TL
Cistopus taiwanicus	Taiwan pouched octopus	Northwest Pacific	14 ML
Hapalochlaena maculosa	Southern blue-ringed octopus	Indo-West Pacific	22 TL
Octopus alatus		Northwest Pacific.
Octopus araneoides		Northwest Pacific.
Octopus areolatus		Northwest Pacific.
Octopus brocki		Northwest Pacific.
Octopus conispadiceus	Chestnut octopus	Northwest Atlantic	150 TL
Octopus cyanea	Big blue octopus	Indo-Pacific	22 ML
Octopus diminutus		Northwest Pacific
Octopus dollfusi	Marbled octopus	Western Pacific	9 ML
Octopus fujitai		Northwest Pacific.
Octopus fusiformis		Northwest Pacific
Octopus globosus	Globe octopus	Indo-West Pacific	25 ML
Octopus hattai		Northwest Pacific.
Octopus hongkongensis		Northwest Pacific.	9 ML
Octopus incella	Large-eared pika	Northwest Pacific	3.1 ML
Octopus laqueus		Northwest Pacific
Octopus longispadiceus		Northwest Pacific.
Octopus minor	Long arm octopus	Northwest Pacific	70 TL
Octopus mutilans		Northwest Pacific.
Octopus ochotensis		Northwest Pacific.
Octopus oliveri		Western Pacific	7 ML
Octopus oshimai		Northwest Pacific.
Octopus parvus	Japanese pygmy octopus	Northwest Pacific.
Octopus sasakii		Northwest Pacific.
Octopus spinosus		Northwest Pacific.
Octopus striolatus		Western Pacific
Octopus tenuipulvinus		Northwest Pacific.
Octopus tsugarensis		Northwest Pacific.
Octopus validus		Northwest Pacific.
Octopus variabilis	Whiparm octopus	Northwest Pacific	70 TL
Octopus vulgaris	Common octopus	Circumglobal in temperate	180 TL
Pteroctopus eurycephala		Northwest Pacific.
Pteroctopus witjazi		Northwest Pacific.
Scaeurgus patagiatus		Pacific Ocean	6.3 ML
Scaeurgus unicirrhus	Unihorn octopus	Indo-Pacific, Atlantic an	12 ML
Thaumoctopus mimicus	Mimic octopus	Indo-West Pacific.	48 TL

Other identification tools in SeaLifeBase

Quick Identification

Identification keys

Identification by morphometrics

Identification by pictures:

          If you already know the Family, go to Search SeaLifeBase, select Family and click on 'Identification by pictures' to display all available pictures in SeaLifeBase for the family.

          If you already know the Country, go to Search SeaLifeBase, select Country and click on 'Identification by pictures' to display all available pictures in SeaLifeBase for the country.

          If you already know the Ecosystem, go to Search SeaLifeBase, select Ecosystem and click on 'Identification by pictures' to display all available pictures in SeaLifeBase for the ecosystem.