Maori Octopus
Macroctopus maorum
- Class
- Cephalopod
- Rarity
- Common
- Observations
- 462
- Most observed in
- 🇳🇿 New Zealand
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Description
Macroctopus is a monospecific genus of cephalopod belonging to the family Octopodidae, the "typical octopuses". The only species in the genus is Macroctopus maorum, the Māori octopus or the New Zealand octopus (wheke in Māori). It is found in the waters around New Zealand and southern Australia. M. maorum is one of the largest octopus species living in the New Zealand and Australian waters. They feed mainly on crustaceans and fish. Although they have a short life span, the females lay thousands of eggs and are very protective of them. This taxon is regarded as a synonym of Pinnoctopus cordiformis by some authorities.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article “Macroctopus”.