Molluscs
Giant Pacific octopus
Enteroctopus dofleini
Epipelagic zone · Mesopelagic zone · Bathypelagic zone
Long feared as the "devilfish" in the legends of Indigenous peoples of the North American Pacific coast, this largest known octopus in the world turns out to be remarkably intelligent, able to open jars and recognise individual humans.
🗺️ Geographic range
The North Pacific, from the coasts of Japan to California via Alaska.
📊 Population
No global population estimate available; locally common in the North Pacific, not evaluated by the IUCN despite targeted commercial fishing in some regions.
Habitat
- Pacific Ocean · High seas / open water · Epipelagic zone · Permanent
🥚 Reproduction
The female lays tens of thousands of eggs, which she guards and aerates without feeding until they hatch, then dies.
Behaviour
- Diet
- Crabs, clams, fish and occasionally small sharks, caught with its eight sucker-covered arms.
- Hunting
- Ambushes from a rocky den, immobilises its prey then drills through its shell with a horny beak.
- Communication
- Changes skin colour and texture depending on mood or to camouflage.
- Social life
- Solitary, territorial.
Physiology
- Anatomy
- The largest known octopus, with an arm span that can exceed 6 m.
- Respiration
- Gill respiration.
- Vision
- Highly developed, complex eyes close to those of vertebrates.
- Adaptations
- Nine brains in total (one central, one per arm), each arm able to act almost autonomously.
🔗 Web of marine life
Predators
Prey
⚡ Its extraordinary abilities
- Has nine brains, one central and one in each of its eight arms, able to act almost independently
- Intelligence documented in the lab: able to open jars and recognise certain individual humans
🏆 Records
The largest known octopus in the world
Arm span can exceed 6 metres in some individuals.
Source: French National Museum of Natural History
If you cross paths with this animal…
Risk: None toward humans, a curious but non-aggressive species.
Behaviour: Wary, retreats into its den if disturbed.
Advice: Never try to take it out of the water — handling greatly stresses the animal.
💡 Did you know?
- Long nicknamed the "devilfish" in fishermen's folklore and certain North Pacific Indigenous legends.
- The female dies of exhaustion shortly after her eggs hatch, having protected them without feeding for months.
