Umbrella octopus
Deep-sea octopuses with an umbrella-like web between their arms.
National Marine Sanctuaries · CC BY 2.0
Umbrella octopuses, scientifically known as Opisthoteuthidae, are a group of pelagic octopuses characterized by a web of skin between their arms that makes them resemble an opened umbrella when the arms are spread. They are deep-sea creatures found in oceans worldwide, typically ranging from about 200 meters to over 4,000 meters below sea level.
- depth_range
- 200–4,000+ meters below sea level
Lore & Background
Umbrella octopuses belong to the family Opisthoteuthidae, which contains multiple genera including Opisthoteuthis, Grimpoteuthis, and others. They have a small, saddle-shaped or vestigial internal shell that supports muscles for a pair of small fins on the mantle, which act as stabilizers when the animal swims using a medusoid motion of the arms and webbing. Their outer skin has a very delicate consistency that results in white spots appearing when damaged.
Reader's Guide
Umbrella octopuses are significant for their unique morphology and defensive behaviors. They lack an intermediate web found in other cirrates, instead using the web between their arms to mimic the intermediate web. Their defensive mechanisms include ballooning—extending the web and curving arm edges inward—and web-inversion, where arms turn upward with the oral surface facing outward. These behaviors have been observed in aquariums, though stress from capture may influence them. Resting behaviors include bottom-resting and flat-spreading. Found in the Clipperton-Clarion Fracture Zone at depths around 4,800 meters, they hover over the ocean floor. Their taxonomy has been revised, with genera Grimpoteuthis, Luteuthis, and Cryptoteuthis now placed in the family Grimpoteuthidae.
Did You Know?
- The name Opisthoteuthidae comes from Ancient Greek ὄπισθεν (ópisthen) meaning 'back' and τευθίς (teuthís) meaning 'squid'.
- Umbrella octopuses have a delicate outer skin that develops white spots when damaged.
Gallery
More in Marine Invertebrates 25-30
Elsewhere in the Marine Invertebrates universe
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record