Tuberculate Pelagic Octopus

Tuberculate Pelagic Octopus
For the harpy of Greek mythology, see Ocypete.
For the oracular animal, see Paul the Octopus.
Tuberculate Pelagic Octopus
Specimen preserved in formaldehyde
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Octopoda
Superfamily: Argonautoida
Family: Ocythoidae
Gray, 1849
Genus: Ocythoe
Rafinesque, 1814
Species: O. tuberculata
Binomial name
Ocythoe tuberculata
Rafinesque, 1814

The Tuberculate Pelagic Octopus (Ocythoe tuberculata), also known as the Football Octopus, is a pelagic species that is found in warm and temperate seas, especially in the northern hemisphere. It is the only known species in the family Ocythoidae.

The females are around a metre long when full-grown. The males are considerably smaller at around 10 cm.

As a species, they are unique among cephalopods in possessing a true gas bladder. They are also one of the only known ovoviviparous cephalopod species. It is relatively unresearched in terms of behaviour and life-cycle.

Young females and mature males have been observed residing inside salps, although little is known about this relationship.

  • Male with attached hectocotylus that has broken free from its sac

  • Cut-away drawing of the viscera

  • Details of the hectocotylus

  • O. tuberculata paralarva

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