The North Pacific giant octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) is the largest and longest-lived octopus species. Although their average length and mass are 5 meters and 20 to 50 kilograms, respectively, the largest individual recorded was 9.1 meter long and weighed 272 kilograms. They usually live for three to five years. The giant Pacific octopus grows larger and lives longer than any other octopus species.
The size record is held by a sample that measured 30 feet wide and weighed more than 600 pounds. The averages are more than 16 feet and 110 pounds. The time between hatching, reproduction and death varies between octopus species. Common octopus, for example, can live only two years, while giant octopus can live up to three years but up to five years as long as they don't mate.
The giant Pacific octopus can be between three and five years old in the wild. The lifespan of octopus is one of the shortest among marine animals, and some species have a lifespan of only 6 months. There are larger species, which live 3 to 4 years in nature, but if you are looking for the average life expectancy, it will reach around 3 years. Species that inhabit the world's warm waters have a shorter lifespan compared to their counterparts in colder regions.
The lifespan of the common octopus, which is the most common species, ranges from 1 to 2 years. With a half-life of 3 years, the giant Pacific octopus is the longest-living octopus on the planet. The prize for the longest-lived octopus species goes to the giant Pacific octopus. They have an average wingspan of 16 feet wide and weigh approximately 110 pounds.
The largest recorded was 30 feet wide and weighed a whopping 600 pounds. An octopus mother will not eat or leave her den except to defend her eggs from predators at the end of her life. On average, the life expectancy of an octopus can range from 6 months to 5 years, depending on the species considered. Researchers believe that the octopus was able to survive lack of food due to its inactivity, which kept its metabolic demands low.
They have studied the optic gland in female octopus and found that secretions from the optic gland send a message to the octopus to inhibit digestion and salivation. The lifespan of octopus is one of their least understood characteristics, and there has been much speculation as to why female octopuses die around the time their eggs hatch. Neurobiologists at the University of Chicago discovered that female octopus has four distinct phases of maternal behavior linked to molecular signals produced by the optic gland. The invertebrate exhibition even has a semi-scientific study design to see what new toys an octopus likes best.
Males live a few months after mating before dying and females spend weeks diligently watching eggs. There are also a handful of species that fall into the category of deep-sea finned octopus that have large fins on the sides of the head. Some species live for just six months, and even the longest-lived octopus have a short lifespan of five years. However, this particular octopus lives in the depths of the waters, about 1,397 meters (4,583 feet) deep in the Monterrey Submarine Canyon.
The medium-sized common octopus is found in all oceans of the world and is one of the most studied species. We know that octopus have a short life span, some species live only six months and others up to five years. In fact, it is known that almost all cephalopods (a group that includes squid, nautilus, octopus and cuttlefish) only live for one or two years, that this octopus beats only during its incubation period.
