Common octopuses

With eight arms, colour-changing skin and a talent for solving problems, the octopus is one of the sea's most surprising animals. The common octopus, which also lives off Türkiye's coasts, lives only a year or two.

Lengte: 0,6–1,3 m
Gewicht: 3–10 kg
Levensduur in het wild: 1–2 jaar
Beschermingsstatus (IUCN): Niet bedreigd (LC)

Waarden zijn bij benadering voor volwassen dieren en verschillen per geslacht, ondersoort en populatie.

In één oogopslag

De belangrijkste feiten over Gewone octopussen.

Where does it live?It lives on rocky and stony bottoms near the coast in temperate and warm seas, especially the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic.
What does it eat?It is a carnivore that eats crabs, mussels, oysters and other shellfish, as well as small fish.
Behaviour and social lifeOctopuses live alone and usually hide in a den among rocks.
YoungThe female hangs thousands of tiny eggs from the ceiling of a den and cleans and guards them for weeks without eating.

Uitgebreid

Dit deel is nog niet in het Nederlands beschikbaar; je ziet voorlopig de versie in het Engels.

Wilde dieren zijn geen huisdieren. Vind je een gewond of jong wild dier, raak het dan niet aan en neem contact op met de plaatselijke dierenambulance of wildopvang.

In het kort

The octopus has eight arms and three hearts.
It can change the colour and texture of its skin in seconds.
It is known for its problem-solving and learning abilities.
It lives along Türkiye's coasts, especially in the Aegean and Mediterranean.
It usually lives only 1–2 years; the female dies after guarding her eggs.

The common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) is a soft-bodied, boneless sea animal belonging to the cephalopods. Each of its eight arms has hundreds of suckers. A large share of its nerve cells are in its arms, which allows the arms to act somewhat on their own.

Where does it live?

It lives on rocky and stony bottoms near the coast in temperate and warm seas, especially the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic. In Türkiye it is common along the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts.

What does it eat?

It is a carnivore that eats crabs, mussels, oysters and other shellfish, as well as small fish. It can open hard shells with its beak and special secretions.

Octopuses live alone and usually hide in a den among rocks. When in danger they squirt ink and escape. Special cells in their skin let them change colour and texture to blend in. Laboratory and field observations show that octopuses can open jars, solve mazes and learn from experience.

Young

The female hangs thousands of tiny eggs from the ceiling of a den and cleans and guards them for weeks without eating. She dies shortly after the eggs hatch. The young drift in open water as plankton for a while.

Conservation status

The common octopus is listed as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. It is commercially important, and heavy fishing can put pressure on populations in some areas.