Mosaic Drop-arm Octopus
Abdopus abaculus
- Usual depth2–5 m
- Water temperature28–29 °C
- Best monthsApril and May
- How commonRare
About this species
Abdopus abaculus, or the mosaic octopus, is a species of pygmy octopus. It was first described as Octopus abaculus by M. D. Norman and M. J. Sweeney in 1997 based on specimens caught in Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Abdopus abaculus”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
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Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 1 records
- February: 2 records
- March: 3 records
- April: 9 records
- May: 7 records
- June: 4 records
- July: 1 records
- August: 3 records
- September: 2 records
- October: 1 records
- November: 4 records
- December: 1 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 2–5 m · Deepest record: 5 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 28–29 °C
Names and classification
- English
- Mosaic Drop-arm Octopus, Mosaic Longarm Octopus, Mosaic Octopus
Names in 1 more languages
- Japanese
- カクレダコ
Other scientific names: Octopus abaculus
Similar species
Algae OctopusAbdopus aculeatus
Big blue octopusOctopus cyanea
Greater blue-ringed octopusHapalochlaena lunulata
Mimic octopusThaumoctopus mimicus
WonderpusWunderpus photogenicus
Sources and credits
Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).
- Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
- Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- 13 open-data records from 1978 to 1988.
- Species data updated October 26, 2026.
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