Sharkclub Octopus
Galeoctopus lateralis
- Usual depth207–305 m
- Water temperature26–27 °C
- Best monthsJanuary
- How commonRare
About this species
Galeoctopus lateralis, the sharkclub octopus, is a species of octopus, from the family Octopodidae. This species was described in 2004 from specimens collected at depths of 200–400 m in the southern and western Pacific Ocean. It is a small octopus in which the mature males have a distinctive ligula which superficially resembles a shark's jaw and head including teeth‐like lugs. Other distinguishing characteristics include a lateral mantle ridge, a skin sculpture which includes star-shaped papillae, and the females have oviducts with hare distally swollen.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Galeoctopus”, 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: 3 records
- February: 0 records
- March: 0 records
- April: 0 records
- May: 0 records
- June: 0 records
- July: 0 records
- August: 0 records
- September: 0 records
- October: 0 records
- November: 1 records
- December: 0 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 207–305 m · Deepest record: 305 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 26–27 °C
Names and classification
- English
- Sharkclub Octopus
Similar species
Coconut OctopusAmphioctopus marginatus
Blue-ringed octopusHapalochlaena maculosa
Maori octopusMacroctopus maorum
Big blue octopusOctopus cyanea
Algae OctopusAbdopus aculeatus
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).
- 11 open-data records from 1985 to 1986.
- Species data updated November 2, 2026.
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