Common Sydney Octopus (Octopus of New Zealand)

Common Sydney Octopus

Octopus tetricus

Colour ³

Active animals

Cream to mottled orange (as seen in the first photo above)

Dark brown (as seen in the second photo above)

Transverse narrow dark bands along arms in some colour patterns

Resting animals

Grey dorsal surfaces (as seen in the third photo above)
Orange arm faces (as seen in the third photo above)
Eyes with a white iris (as seen in the third photo above)
Transverse pair of white spots present on dorsal mantle, slightly anterior to midpoint of mantle

Sculpture ³

Skin sculptured in rounded patches separated by distinct grooves (as seen in the first photo above)
Capable of raising large papillae over dorsal surfaces, including four in diamond pattern on dorsal mantle and one above each eye
Skin ridge around lateral margin of mantle absent.

Other Information ³

Suckers same size in similar position on all the arms, and all of the arms are the same size, found on rocky reefs, smaller than Macroctopus maorum, tends to have white eyes and is more orange