Enteroctopus dofleini
Fast Facts
- An octopus appendage is called an arm, not a tentacle.
- Mature females have 280 suckers on each arm (2,240 suckers total). Males have fewer because there are only about 100 on the hectocotylus arm.
- Their suckers contain thousands of chemical receptors making them incredibly sensitive to touch and taste, used to grope for food in small crevices.
- The octopus has nine brains instead of one central nervous system.
- If you measure the space between the eyes of an octopus, that is about how big of a hole it can squeeze through.
Range
Pacific coast from Alaska to southern California
Habitat
Rocky shores, tide pools, and as deep as 1,650 feet
Size
Up to 30 feet across, weighing about 600 pounds
Nutrition
Shrimp, crabs, scallops, abalone, clams, and fish