Photo credit: (c) Ewout Knoester, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist
About this species
The mimic octopus is a species of octopus from the Indo-Pacific region. Like other octopuses, it uses its chromatophores to disguise itself. It is noteworthy for being able to impersonate a wide variety of other marine animals. While many animals mimic either their environment or other animals to avoid predation, the mimic octopus and its close relative the wunderpus are the only ones known to actively imitate several animals in order to elude predators.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Mimic octopus”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 12 records
- February: 15 records
- March: 20 records
- April: 33 records
- May: 45 records
- June: 20 records
- July: 28 records
- August: 21 records
- September: 22 records
- October: 31 records
- November: 18 records
- December: 13 records
Photos
(c) Dan Schofield, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Dan Schofield, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
no rights reserved · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist 
(c) Pauline Walsh Jacobson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Gregor Bailar, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Ben Costamagna, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Kai Squires, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
Names and classification
- English
- Mimic octopus, George Cloney, mimic octopus
Names in 6 more languages
- German
- Mimik-Oktopus
- Spanish
- Pulpo mimico, Pulpo mímico
- French
- Poulpe mimétique
- Japanese
- ミミックオクトパス
- Thai
- ปลาหมึกสายลายเสือ
- Simplified Chinese
- 擬態章魚
Similar species
Big blue octopusOctopus cyanea
Algae OctopusAbdopus aculeatus
Old woman octopusCistopus indicus
Greater blue-ringed octopusHapalochlaena lunulata
WonderpusWunderpus photogenicus
- Mosaic Drop-arm Octopus
Abdopus abaculus
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).
- Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- Species data updated October 26, 2026.
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