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Species of the month

North Pacific Giant Octopus

Enteroctopus dofleini (Wülker, 1910)

Some facts about this octopus:

Arm span: Up to 4.3 meters.
Weight: About 15 kg, but can reach to 71 kg.
Life-span: 3–5 years in the wild.
Range: Coastal North Pacific.
Diet: Shrimp, crabs, scallops, abalone, clams, and fish.
Predators: Harbour seals, sea otters, and sperm whales.
Dwelling depth: Around 65 meters deep.

Enteroctopus dofleini isn't something you want to run into when you swim. It is considered the largest octopus around, and can even eat sharks. It lays 120,000 to 400,000 eggs. During reproduction, the male deposits a sperm packet measuring more than 1 meter across. The eggs are then carefully cared for by the female. She stops eating during this care and her life ends soon after the eggs hatch, about 6 months after spawning. The hatchlings are about the size of a grain of rice, but grow fast. Specimens kept in aquaria have demonstrated the ability to recognise individual humans that they frequently come in contact with.