ECOLOGICAL DATA
Distribution: in rocky areas throughout B.C. coast.
Habitat: establish dens in caves or rocky areas, or smaller individuals may dig
dens in sand-shell substrates; inhabits deep water from February-April and August-October;
females brood eggs on roof of dens; planktonic larvae until 50 mm length, then remain
benthic.
Tidal elevation: subtidal, to a depth of over 100 m; inshore dens usually from
13-30 m.
Food: nocturnal predator; larvae feed on copepods and other zooplankton;
juveniles and adults prey on crabs, cockle, littleneck clams, abalone, moon snails and
small fish.
Predators: seals, sea lions, sea otters, dogfish, lingcod, flatfish and larger
octopuses.
GROWTH RATE
Sexually mature at 2-3 yr, males after 12 kg and females after
20 kg; at 1 yr weighs 1 kg and 12 kg after 1.5 yr.
FISHERY
Small commercial fishery (53 t in 1986 valued at $0.1 million.)
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REFERENCES
Hartwick, B. 1983. Octopus dofleini, p. 277-291. In
P. Boyle [ed.] Cephalopod life cycles. Vol.1. Academic Press, London.
Hartwick, E.B., and G. Thorarinsson. 1978. Den associates of the giant Pacific
octopus, Octopus dofleini (Wulker). Ophelia 17: 163-166.
Hartwick, E.B., R.F. Ambrose, and S.M.C. Robinson.1984. Dynamics of shallow-water
populations of Octopus dofleini. Mar. Biol. 82: 65-72.
Hartwick, E.B., P.A. Breen, and L. Tulloch. 1978. A removal experiment with Octopus
dofleini (Wulker). J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 35: 1492-1495.
Jamieson, G.S. 1986. Octopus, p. 46-50. In G.S. Jamieson and K. Francis [ed.]
Invertebrate and marine plant fishery resources of British Columbia. Can. Spec. Publ.
Fish. Aquat. Sci. 91.
Mottet, M.G. 1975. The fishery biology of Octopus dofleini (Wulker). Wash. Dep.
Fish. Tech. Rep. 16: 39 p.
Robinson, S.M.C. 1983. Growth of the giant Pacific octopus Octopus dofleini martini
on the west coast of British Columbia. M.Sc. thesis, Dep. Biol. Sci., Simon Fraser Univ.,
Burnaby: 79 p.
Robinson, S.M.C., and E.B. Hartwick. 1986. Analysis of growth based on tag-recapture
of the giant Pacific octopus Octopus dofleini martini. J. Zool. Lond. (A) 209:
559-572.
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