Hammer Octopus

Octopus australis

Cephalopods
IUCN: Least concern

Usual depth12–571 m
Water temperature12–24 °C
Best monthsFebruary, April, and May
How commonRare

About this species

Octopus australis is a species of octopus. It gets the common name hammer octopus from a modified arm possessed by males and used in reproduction. It was first described by William Evans Hoyle in 1885, based on a specimen found in Port Jackson in New South Wales.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Octopus australis”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

Loading the map

Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 5 records
February: 10 records
March: 5 records
April: 9 records
May: 6 records
June: 2 records
July: 6 records
August: 5 records
September: 6 records
October: 5 records
November: 2 records
December: 4 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 12–571 m · Deepest record: 2,200 m

0–10 m: 1 records
10–20 m: 1 records
20–30 m: 1 records
30–40 m: 0 records
40–50 m: 2 records
50–60 m: 2 records
60–70 m: 0 records
70–80 m: 1 records
80–90 m: 0 records
90–100 m: 0 records
100–110 m: 0 records
110+ m: 3 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 12–24 °C

10–12 °C: 1 records
12–14 °C: 0 records
14–16 °C: 3 records
16–18 °C: 10 records
18–20 °C: 7 records
20–22 °C: 24 records
22–24 °C: 12 records

Names and classification

English: Hammer Octopus, Southern Octopus

Names in 3 more languages

Spanish: Pulpo martillo
French: Poulpe tambour
Simplified Chinese: 澳洲蛸

Other scientific names: Robsonella australis

Similar species

Common Atlantic octopus
Octopus vulgaris
Big blue octopus
Octopus cyanea
Gloomy octopus
Octopus tetricus
Southern Keeled Octopus
Octopus berrima
Southern sand octopus
Octopus kaurna
Common Long-arm Octopus
Octopus minor

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).
71 open-data records from 1884 to 1996.
Species data updated November 5, 2026.

Log what you see on your next dive

The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.

Join the waitlist