North Atlantic octopus (Bathypolypus arcticus)

Classification (WoRMS)

Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Mollusca · Class: Cephalopoda · Order: Octopoda · Family: Bathypolypodidae · Genus: Bathypolypus.

Accepted name: Bathypolypus arcticus · Authority: (Prosch, 1849) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 140596.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Bathypolypus faeroensis (E. S. Russell, 1909); Bathypolypus groenlandicus Dewhurst, 1856; Bathypolypus obesus (A. E. Verrill, 1880); Bathypolypus sasakii (G. C. Robson, 1927); Benthoctopus sasakii G. C. Robson, 1927; Octopus arcticus Prosch, 1849; Octopus groenlandicus Dewhurst, 1856; Octopus obesus A. E. Verrill, 1880; Polypus faeroensis E. S. Russell, 1909.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=140596 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Biology and life history (SeaLifeBase)

Measured values published by SeaLifeBase for Bathypolypus arcticus. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.

Maximum length: 10 cm · Common length: 6 cm · Depth range: 14–2700 m · Habitat zone: benthic · Vulnerability index: 10 of 100 · Fishery importance: of potential interest.

SeaLifeBase notes: Maximum total length is 20 cm (Ref. 122093). Maximum depth from Ref. 1985.

Source: SeaLifeBase species summary (SpecCode 58211) — https://www.sealifebase.se/summary/Bathypolypus-arcticus.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

1,119 georeferenced occurrence records for Bathypolypus arcticus are published through GBIF from 13 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 293 distinct locations from a sample of 1,119 records, omitting 24 inland records that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.

Most records by country or area: United States of America (713); Canada (190); Sweden (106); Norway (40); Svalbard and Jan Mayen (34).

The full country table, WoRMS marine regions and the sampling notes are on this species' Distribution page.

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2289309) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2289309&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=140596 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Bathypolypus arcticus (Prosch, 1849) as Least Concern (code LC). No trend, population estimate or threat analysis is given here, because none is available from this source without the Red List API; follow the source link for the full assessment, including its date.

Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (taxon 162955) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/162955/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2289309) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2289309/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-25.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

Bathypolypus arcticus is a small, short-armed octopus which is between 6 in length, with an average adult weight of around 45 g and a maximum of 300 g.

Like other deep-sea octopuses, Bathypolypus arcticus do not have ink sacs.

The mantle is globular, being nearly as wide as it is long. The surface of mantle, head, arms and web is covered in warts, especially around the eyes. The arms are short and in an irregular order with two rows of small suckers.

Ecology

Bathypolypus arcticus has low fecundity meaning that they lay fewer, relatively larger eggs than many other octopuses from which benthic young hatch. The female broods her eggs for over 400 days during which time it ceases to eat and slowly wastes away as it metabolises its own body to provide energy to guard the eggs and young. This was considered the longest brooding period for an octopus until surpassed by Graneledone boreopacifica.

Unusually for octopuses, Bathypolypus arcticus mainly feeds on brittle stars, but this may depend on availability, as captives prefer crustaceans. A wide range of other food items have been recorded in smaller quantities, including polychaetes, sipunculid worms, foraminiferas and bivalves. In captivity, adults have been housed together without showing the aggressive, cannibalistic tendencies known from several other octopuses.

Bathypolypus arcticus have longer life spans than other octopuses where it is known and may live for six years or more. In comparison, many shallow water octopuses only live for a year. Higher water temperatures result in increased growth rates, but shorter life spans in Bathypolypus arcticus. Temperatures above 10 C are typically lethal to this cold-water species, although specimens have survived at 11 C if slowly acclimated.

Bathypolypus arcticus is the host for the dicyemid parasite Dicyemennea canadensis, which lives in the renal appendage of the infected octopus.

Distribution

The North Atlantic from the Florida Straits, north along the eastern seaboard to Greenland, Iceland, Spitsbergen then south along the European coast into the North Sea, including Great Britain and Ireland. Although mainly found between 200, it has been recorded in shallower waters and as deep as 1543 m.

Source: Wikipedia: Bathypolypus arcticus — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bathypolypus_arcticus (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.