World Register of Deep-Sea species - Octopus Cuvier, 1797

Deep-Sea taxon details

Octopus Cuvier, 1797

AphiaID

138268 (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:138268)

Classification

Status

accepted

Rank

Genus

Type taxon

Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797 (type by subsequent designation)

Parent

Octopodidae A. d'Orbigny, 1839

Original name

Octopus Cuvier, 1797

Synonymised names

Polypus Leach, 1817 · unaccepted (ICZN Opinion 233)

Direct children (28)

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Species Octopus californicus (S. S. Berry, 1911)
Species Octopus hongkongensis Hoyle, 1885
Species Octopus joubini G. C. Robson, 1929
Species Octopus pallidus Hoyle, 1885
Species Octopus pyrum M. Norman, Hochberg & Lu, 1997
Species Octopus rubescens S. S. Berry, 1953
Species Octopus salutii Vérany, 1839
Species Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797
Species Octopus alatus (M. Sasaki, 1920) (uncertain > taxon inquirendum)
Species Octopus longispadiceus (M. Sasaki, 1917) (uncertain > taxon inquirendum)
Species Octopus pusillus A. A. Gould, 1852 (uncertain > nomen dubium)
Species Octopus validus M. Sasaki, 1920 (uncertain > taxon inquirendum)
Species Octopus arcticus Prosch, 1849 accepted as Bathypolypus arcticus (Prosch, 1849)
Species Octopus bairdii A. E. Verrill, 1872 accepted as Bathypolypus bairdii (A. E. Verrill, 1872) (unaccepted > superseded combination)
Species Octopus dofleini (Wülker, 1910) accepted as Enteroctopus dofleini (Wülker, 1910)
Species Octopus ergasticus P. Fischer & H. Fischer, 1892 accepted as Bathypolypus ergasticus (P. Fischer & H. Fischer, 1892)
Species Octopus gracilis A. E. Verrill, 1884 accepted as Macrotritopus equivocus (G. C. Robson, 1929) (unaccepted > junior homonym, not Octopus gracilis Souleyet, 1852; replaced by Octopus (Macrotritopus) equivocus G. C. Robson, 1929)
Species Octopus groenlandicus Dewhurst, 1856 accepted as Bathypolypus arcticus (Prosch, 1849) (synonym)
Species Octopus januarii Hoyle, 1885 accepted as Muusoctopus januarii (Hoyle, 1885)
Species Octopus leioderma (S. S. Berry, 1911) accepted as Benthoctopus leioderma (S. S. Berry, 1911) accepted as Muusoctopus leioderma (S. S. Berry, 1911)
Species Octopus lentus A. E. Verrill, 1880 accepted as Bathypolypus bairdii (A. E. Verrill, 1872) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
Species Octopus lothei Chun, 1913 accepted as Bathypolypus ergasticus (P. Fischer & H. Fischer, 1892)
Species Octopus magnificus Villanueva, P. Sánchez & Compagno Roeleveld, 1992 accepted as Enteroctopus magnificus (Villanueva, P. Sánchez & Compagno Roeleveld, 1992) (original combination)
Species Octopus obesus A. E. Verrill, 1880 accepted as Bathypolypus arcticus (Prosch, 1849) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
Species Octopus piscatorum A. E. Verrill, 1879 accepted as Bathypolypus bairdii (A. E. Verrill, 1872) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
Species Octopus punctatus Gabb, 1862 accepted as Enteroctopus dofleini (Wülker, 1910)
Species Octopus rufus Risso, 1854 accepted as Scaeurgus unicirrhus (Delle Chiaje, 1841) (dubious synonym)
Species Octopus sponsalis P. Fischer & H. Fischer, 1892 accepted as Bathypolypus sponsalis (P. Fischer & H. Fischer, 1892)

Environment

marine, ~~brackish~~, ~~fresh~~, ~~terrestrial~~

Grammatical gender

masculine

Original description

Cuvier, G. (1797). Tableau élémentaire de l'histoire naturelle des animaux. [Elementary Table of the Natural History of Animals.]. Baudoin, Paris. :i-xvi, 1-710, pls 1-14. [Dec 1797]., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11637076
page(s): 380 [details]

Taxonomic citation

MolluscaBase eds. (2026). MolluscaBase. Octopus Cuvier, 1797. Accessed through: Glover, A.G.; Higgs, N.; Horton, T. (2026) World Register of Deep-Sea species (WoRDSS) at: https://www.marinespecies.org/deepsea/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=138268 on 2026-06-11

Thematic species database citation

Glover, A.G.; Higgs, N.; Horton, T. (2026). World Register of Deep-Sea species (WoRDSS). Octopus Cuvier, 1797. Accessed at: https://marinespecies.org/DeepSea/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=138268 on 2026-06-11

Taxonomic edit history

Date

action

2004-12-21 15:54:05Z

created

Gofas, Serge

2013-10-13 18:03:35Z

changed

Gofas, Serge

2015-01-31 10:25:01Z

changed

Bouchet, Philippe

2018-02-07 15:28:10Z

changed

Bouchet, Philippe

2018-05-27 23:05:56Z

changed

Marshall, Bruce

2020-05-04 20:12:36Z

changed

Bouchet, Philippe

2026-04-21 08:57:28Z

changed

Bouchet, Philippe

2026-05-03 21:24:40Z

changed

Marshall, Bruce

[taxonomic tree]

[clear cache]

original description Cuvier, G. (1797). Tableau élémentaire de l'histoire naturelle des animaux. [Elementary Table of the Natural History of Animals.]. Baudoin, Paris. :i-xvi, 1-710, pls 1-14. [Dec 1797]., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11637076
page(s): 380 [details]

taxonomy source Norman M.D., Finn J.K. & Hochberg F.G. (2014). Family Octopodidae. pp. 36-215, in P. Jereb, C.F.E. Roper, M.D. Norman & J.K. Finn eds. Cephalopods of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of cephalopod species known to date. Volume 3. Octopods and Vampire Squids. FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes [Rome, FAO]. 4(3): 353 pp. 11 pls. [details]

subsequent type designation ICZN. (1997). Opinion 1861. Octopus vulgaris Cuvier [1797] and Loligo vulgaris Lamarck, 1798 (Mollusca, Cephalopoda): specific names conserved. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature. 54: 59-60., available online at http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/12446295 [details]