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.

• Max Size: 198 cm
• Depth: 0-549m
• Habitat: Rocky Reef, Soft sediment

• IUCN Threat Status: Not Evaluated
• Occurrence: Infrequent (3% 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.