Invertebrate · GBIF taxon 2289216
Seven-armed Octopus
Haliphron atlanticusAlso known as Seven-arm Octopus, Blob Octopus, Septopus
This colossal cephalopod drifts through the dark ocean midwaters, supported by gelatinous tissues that conserve energy in low-nutrient environments. Males appear to possess only seven arms because their specialized mating arm remains coiled inside a pouch beneath the right eye until copulation. Individuals routinely prey on large open-ocean medusae and have even been observed clutching detached jellyfish bells to use their stinging tentacles for protection.
Deep SeaPelagicGelatinous
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Jellyfish
- Salps
- Lanternfish
Predators
- Sperm Whale
- Blue Shark
- Swordfish
ThreatsDeep-sea trawl bycatch, oceanic warming, and marine debris
HabitatsOpen ocean mesopelagic and bathypelagic zones
Life span2–5 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyAlloposidae
- SpeciesHaliphron atlanticus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Submersible Footage: Watch deep-sea research ROV livestreams between depths of 300 and 1,500 meters to spot live individuals.
- Stranding Reports: Document and report washed-up gelatinous specimens to marine research centers to aid distribution mapping.
Predator (c) Gabriel Barathieu, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Image unavailablePrey 
Order Relative "Giant Pacific Octopus" by jurvetson is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. · cc-byOrder Relative
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