Octopus californicus (commonly the North Pacific bigeye octopus or orange bigeye octopus)[2][3] is an octopus in the family
Octopodidae.[4] It is provisionally assigned to the genus Octopus, but some scholars have concluded it belongs in other genera.[5][6]O. californicus was first documented by
S. Stillman Berry in 1911.[7]
Description
Octopus californicus is medium-sized[8] and has a body up to 14 cm in diameter, with arms up to 30.5 cm in length;[9] it has a mantle length of around 140 millimeters[8] and maximum total length of 40 centimeters.[10] It is soft-skinned,[11] with large eyes, a rough body, and star shaped patches on the skin.[5] Its diet is composed of fish, shrimp, and crabs.[9]
Reproduction
The eggs of O. californicus incubate for a maximum of ten months. They hatch looking like miniature adults, with no juvenile stage.[1] Females spawn around 100 to 500 eggs at once.[10]
Distribution
Octopus californicus live in the northeastern
Pacific Ocean, between
Baja California and the
Gulf of Alaska. The species has also been reported near Russia[8] and in the Sea of Japan.[11] They live between 100 and 900 meters, making them a deep sea species.[9]