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Fish4Life provides everything you need to enjoy seafood responsibly. Explore information and practical tips for safe and sustainable seafood consumption, and help protect marine life by reporting undersized or illegally traded seafood.

Common octopus
Octopus vulgaris
Χταπόδι

Sustainability Status

Highly exploited

REPORT IT
Help us protect our seas by reporting illegal or undersized fish that you see in markets, restaurants or fishing boats
Fishstocks – Declining due to overexploitation
Think before you eat – This species faces increasing pressures and should only be consumed responsibly

Legal

Minimum Size

>750gr

Prohibited Consumption Period

–

Sustainable

Minimum Size

>1kg

Avoid Consumption Period

April – October

Advice for Consumption

Think before consuming this species.

This species is overexploited both by recreational and professional fishers.

Greek legislation sets an unsustainably small legal minimum size and no closed season, leaving juvenile and spawning octopus completely unprotected. Respecting minimum sustainable size limits and avoiding consumption during the breeding season are essential for the recovery and long-term sustainability of this species.

Choose sustainable seafood!

Archipelagos Tips

Choosing larger, mature octopus helps reduce fishing pressure on juvenile individuals.

Juvenile octopus are commonly sold in fish markets and caught by recreational fishers for personal consumption. This unsustainable practice threatens the future of octopus populations.

If you spot juvenile octopus being caught or sold, please report it to us. Your observations help us monitor the extent of this problem.

Common names

FR

Poulpe

it

Polpo comune

es

Pulpo

tr

Ahtapot

pt

Polvo

nl

Gewone octopus

de

Gemeiner Krake

toxicity

This species is safe to consume.

iucn info

Least concern (LC)

Description

Large bulbous head and eyes, smooth skin that changes colour to adapt to its surroundings and eight tentacles that can extend up to 1m.

It looks like Callioctopus macropus (White-spotted octopus) which has a slimmer and more elongated body with characteristic white spots/bumps all over its body.

Did you know?

Octopuses can regrow their tentacles!

Ecological Aspects

Diet

Carnivorous.
Feeds on crustaceans, mollusks, worms, fish, and cephalopods.

habitat

Benthic.
Found on reefs, rocky, sandy, and muddy bottoms of the coastline, and at the edge of the continental shelf.

Max size & depth range

Max. Length: 180 cm
Max.Weight: 10 kg
Depth Range: 0-100m

breeding & Growth

Gonochoric (seperate sexes). Males perform displays to attract females. Males die shortly after spawning and females die shortly after eggs hatch.
Growth rate: Fast (k = 0.70yr⁻¹)

Longevity & presence

Lifespan: 1-2 years
Max. Reported age: 4 years
Distribution: Circumglobal. Found in temperate and tropical waters.

appearance changes

It can alter its appearance instantly for camouflage and communication using a complex, neuron-controlled system. Its skin cells contain millions of pigment sacs (black, brown, red, yellow) which can expand or contract in milliseconds, dictating skin color and broad patterns. Deeper reflective cells manipulate ambient light to produce iridescent blues, greens, and whites, mimicking the exact background.

Reproductive Cycle

Egg count: 100,000-500,000 eggs
Reproductive frequency: Once in a lifetime.
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If you’d like to learn more about the work of the Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation, please visit our website: https://archipelago.gr/

Good choice – Consumption of this species is currently considered sustainable

Illegal species – Fishing, selling and consumption of this species is illegal

Fishstocks – Declining due to overexploitation

Think before you eat – This species faces increasing pressures and should only be consumed responsibly

Bad choice – Consumption of this species is unsustainable

Health concerns –
Can accumulate dangerously high levels of toxic substances harmful to health

Alien / Invasive – This species is not from this region and can have a negative impact on the ecosystem and threaten local biodiversity, so it is sustainable to eat

Aquafarms – You will commonly find this species coming from aquafarms