common octopus

This medium-sized species measures 60 cm but individuals can reach up to 1.20 m. It is generally brown / red color, mottled with gray and beige. The red color intensifies depending on the "mood" of the individual.

This octopus has a lonely tendency. It feeds mainly on crustaceans and bivalves and very rarely attacks fish. She used to bring food back to her "den". Territorial, it is easy to find the hiding place of an octopus thanks to the heap of mollusc shells (bivalves and gastropods) deposited at the entrance of its refuge.

Discreet, she uses her mimicry to blend into the rocky bottoms. It is capable of reproducing a very large number of elements (algae, stone, sand ...) to go unnoticed.

The reproduction spreads from March to November, thanks to the warming of the water.

During the reproduction period, the male's third right arm is changed to a hectocotyle arm: this lengthens and changes to allow the carrying of spermatophores. It is introduced into the pallial cavity of the female in order to disseminate the semen, thereby maximizing the chances of fertilization.

The females are particularly invested in the clutch of eggs which it cleans and protects over a period ranging from 1 to 4 months depending on the temperature of the water. After laying (100,000 to 500,000 eggs), they dedicate themselves to this task until their death.

Upon hatching, the juveniles are immediately confined to the benthic environment. They reach sexual maturity after a few months of growth, after which they spend most of their time looking for partners.