Good Fish Guide
Horned octopus
(Eledone cirrhosa)
Also known as: Lesser octopus, Curled octopus
Overview
Octopus belong to a specialised group of molluscs, known as cephalopods, which includes cuttlefish and squid. Like all cephalopods, octopus grow rapidly, although growth rates and longevity appear highly variable and environmentally determined. In addition to the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris), the lesser octopus (Eledone cirrhosa) is also found in the North East Atlantic and Mediterranean. It is the more common species around the UK. As with most cephalopods, growth rates and life span are generally short, 1-5 years, although there may be some variation between areas. The lesser octopus probably matures around 1 year (12-40cm for females, slightly smaller for males) and appears less fecund than the common octopus, perhaps 1,000-5,000 eggs. Octopus are solitary animals, generally inhabiting depths less than 100m, and more common in shallow water. Lesser octopus are a red-brown colour when alive, and erectile tissue in the skin enables them to form distinct peaks over the body, hence the name horned octopus. They have a single row of suckers on each of their arms, which when at rest are curled around the body, providing their third common name of curled octopus.
Ratings
Showing 3 results for Horned octopus
