FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes Western

Octopodidae 823
Octopus alpheus Norman, 1993a
En - Capricorn night octopus.
Moderate to large robust octopus (maximum mantle length 90 mm) with
moderately long arms (3 to 5 times mantle length). Dorsal arms longer
than lateral and ventral arms. Webs moderately deep, deepest 16 to
25% of longest arm. In adults, 190 to 230 suckers on normal arms, 80
to 100 on hectocotylized arm of male. No enlarged suckers. Large eggs
(more than 8 mm) produced in low numbers (less than 500). Colour:
orange-brown to red base colour with large white spots over dorsal
mantle, arm crown, webs and arms. Intertidal coral
reef flats, emerging to forage during night low tides. No
commercial harvest. Tropical species restricted to the
Capricorn Bunker Islands, southern Great Barrier Reef,
Australia.
Octopus aspilosomatis Norman, 1993a
tip of
hectocotylized
arm
En - Plain-body night octopus.
Moderate-sized, elongate octopus (maximum mantle length 80 mm)
with long arms (4.5 to 6 times mantle length). Dorsal arms longer than
lateral and ventral arms. Webs shallow, deepest 9 to 15% of longest
arm. In adults, 200 to 270 suckers on normal arms, 75 to 100 on
hectocotylized arm of male. No enlarged suckers. Small eggs (less
than 3 mm) produced in large numbers (more than
10 000). Colour: orange-brown to deep maroon base
colour with white spots on arm crown, webs, and paired
down arms; no white spots ever expressed on mantle.
Intertidal coral reef flats, emerging to forage during
night low tides. No commercial harvest. Tropical species
known only from coastal reefs and offshore islands of
northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia.
tip of
hectocotylized
arm
dorsal view
dorsal view