Macroctopus maorum
Maori octopus | Octopus maorum
Distribution
Temperate Australasia
Description
Dark red colour, smooth skin, long arms of unequal length and the head being separated from the body by a distinct constriction. For a long time this species was known as O. flindersi, but recent work indicates that Australian animals are the same as the New Zealand-named species O. maorum. This octopus is a major predator of rock lobsters and is caught incidentally in lobster pots in sufficient quantities to be commercially important in its own right in South Australia.
Information
Max Size: 198 cm
Sea Temperature Range: N/A
Depth: 0-549m
Habitat Generalization Index: N/A
Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.
Conservation and Rarity
IUCN Status: Not Evaluated
Occurrence: Infrequent (3.2% of sites)
Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed
Abundance: Solitary (1 per transect)
Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.
Edit by: GJ Edgar. 2008. Australian Marine Life. New Holland, Sydney