Tehuelche octopus (Octopus tehuelchus)

Classification (WoRMS)

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

Accepted name: Octopus tehuelchus · Authority: A. d'Orbigny, 1835 · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 342032.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Octopus lobensis Castellanos & Menni, 1969.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=342032 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Biology and life history (SeaLifeBase)

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

Maximum length: 30 cm · Depth range: 0–90 m · Habitat zone: benthic · Vulnerability index: 20 of 100 · Fishery importance: commercial.

SeaLifeBase notes: Minimum depth assumed from its ecology. Inhabits intertidal and shallow subtidal zones, on reefs and sandy areas. Found on crevices, boulders and empty gastropod and bivalve shells.

Selectively feeds on grapsid crabs and small bivalves. Known to extract living hermit crabs on gastropod shells via drilling. Major source of food for juvenile shark in Argentinean waters (Ref. 96968).

Source: SeaLifeBase species summary (SpecCode 57287) — https://www.sealifebase.se/summary/Octopus-tehuelchus.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

116 georeferenced occurrence records for Octopus tehuelchus are published through GBIF from 7 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 31 distinct locations from a sample of 116 records, omitting 14 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: Argentina (91); Spain (9); Brazil (8); Panama (3); Honduras (2); Malta (2); Uruguay (1).

Marine regions with a valid WoRMS distribution record: South West Atlantic.

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2289589) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2289589&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=342032 (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 Octopus tehuelchus d'Orbigny 1834 as Data Deficient (code DD). 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 163339) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/163339/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2289589) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2289589/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-25.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

This is a small to medium-sized octopus with a maximum length of about 20 cm. The mantle is globular with a smooth surface. The head is slightly narrower than the mantle, the eyes are prominent and are surrounded by small granulations. The mantle opening is wide with a long funnel.

The neck is constricted and the eight arms are two-thirds to three-quarters of the length of the rest of the animal. The second pair of arms is the shortest and the fourth pair is the longest. The hectocotylus of the male is on the right third arm, and the male also has enlarged suckers.

Distribution and habitat

Octopus tehuelchus is native to the subtropical southwestern Atlantic Ocean. Its range extends along the coasts of Brazil and Argentina between 30°S and 44°S, and between 50°W and 65°W. It occurs in the intertidal zone and the shallow subtidal zone, down to depths of around 90 m. It occurs over reefs and sandy seabeds, often hiding in crevices or under boulders and in empty mollusc shells.

Ecology

This octopus feeds on crabs and small clams and is known to drill into gastropod shells to extract hermit crabs. The octopus is itself heavily preyed on by young sharks off the coast of Argentina.

Breeding in this species takes place between autumn and spring. As with many other octopus species, the female selects a shelter and broods a batch of eggs.

An invertebrate shell is usually chosen as a shelter; small individuals usually choose gastropod shells such as Zidona dufresnei, Odontocymbiola magellanica or Buccinanops cochlidium, clams such as Pitar rostratus or Amiantis purpurata or large barnacles in the genus Balanus. Medium-sized individuals favour shells of the oyster Ostrea puelchana, while the largest individuals create their own shelters from shell fragments and other materials. The oyster is the most favoured shelter overall, with the majority of eggs being deposited inside the concave valve.

Source: Wikipedia: Octopus tehuelchus — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus_tehuelchus (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.