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Related species
- Species in Octopus
- Species in Octopodidae
- - Classification / Names -
- Octopodinae
- Octopodidae
- Octopoda
- Cephalopoda
- Chordata
- Animalia
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Octopus cyanea Gray, 1849
big blue octopus| Native range |
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| Octopus cyanea AquaMaps Data sources: GBIF OBIS |
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Octopus cyanea
Picture by Harasti, David
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Picture by Harasti, David
Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | CoL | ITIS | WoRMS
Cephalopoda | Octopoda | Octopodidae | Octopodinae
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology
Reef-associated; depth range 0 - 150 m (Ref. 113260). Tropical; 33°N - 36°S, 30°E - 134°W (Ref. 275)
Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions
Indo-Pacific: from eastern Africa to Hawaiian Islands.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?, range 8 - ? cm Max length : 120 cm male/unsexed; (Ref. ); max. published weight: 6.0 kg (Ref. 81543)
Shallow-water benthic species inhabiting coral reefs and found in a variety of substrata (Ref. 81543). Occupies lairs in coral bedrock, live and dead coral heads and excavations in sand and rubble (Ref. 96968). In naturally-occurring holes on rocks or dens (Ref. 81543). Males and females can occupy adjacent dens (Ref. 96968). Juveniles rapidly form homes and defend these against conspecifics (Ref. 105171). Opportunistic predator that predominantly uses tactile foraging methods (Ref. 81543). Reported to pounce and capture crabs. Another feeding strategy involves speculative hunting where an individual uses its interbrachial web to cover and explore with the tips of its arms the coral heads, rocks or clumps of algae (Ref. 105172). Feeds primarily on bivalves, gastropods and xanthid crabs. Employs crypsis in reaction to threat (Ref. 81543). Exhibits diurnal activity (Ref. 105171). Day-active species with higher activity peaks at dusk and dawn (Ref. 96968). Members of the class Cephalopoda are gonochoric. Male and female adults usually die shortly after spawning and brooding, respectively. Mating behavior: Males perform various displays to attract potential females for copulation. During copulation, male grasp the female and inserts the hectocotylus into the female's mantle cavity where fertilization usually occurs. Life cycle: Embryos hatch into planktonic stage and live for some time before they grow larger and take up a benthic existence as adults (Ref. 833).
Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Members of the class Cephalopoda are gonochoric. Male and female adults usually die shortly after spawning and brooding, respectively. Mating behavior: Males perform various displays to attract potential females for copulation. During copulation, male grasp the female and inserts the hectocotylus into the female's mantle cavity where fertilization usually occurs. Life cycle: Embryos hatch into planktonic stage and live for some time before they grow larger and take up a benthic existence as adults.
Main reference
References | Coordinator | Collaborators
Roper, C.F.E., M.J. Sweeney and C.E. Nauen. 1984. (Ref. 275)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)
CITES status (Ref. 108899)
Not Evaluated
CMS (Ref. 116361)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial
| FishSource | Sea Around Us
More information
Internet sources
BHL | BOLD Systems | CISTI | DiscoverLife | FAO(Publication : search) | GenBank (genome, nucleotide) | GloBI | GOBASE | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | ispecies | PubMed | Scirus | Tree of Life | uBio | uBio RSS | Wikipedia (Go, Search) | Zoological Record
Estimates of some properties based on models
Preferred temperature
(Ref. 115969): 24.7 - 29.1, mean 28.1 (based on 1652 cells).