OCTOPODID^. 15 



Octopus, Lamarck, 1*199". 



Etym. — Octo^ eight ; poua (poda), feet. Poulpe. 



Syn. — Polypus, Leach, 1817. 



Diatr. — 44 species. Coasts of temperate and tropical seas. 

 0. Cuvieri, cl'Orb. (xxiii,5) ; 0. octopodia, Linn, (xxiii, 1). 



Animal with a rounded body, not finned at the sides or 

 extremity ; the eight long arms provided on their inner surface 

 with two rows of sessile fleshy suckers ; mantle-support fleshy. 

 Shell represented by two short cartilaginous stylets enclosed in 

 the tissues of the mantle. The third right arm of the male is 

 altered for sexual purposes. 



Verany says, that although the Octopus usually hides itself in 

 the crevices of rocks, which the elasticity of its body enables it 

 to do with great facility, it sometimes frequents sandy bottoms. 

 On these occasions, as he has several times observed, it covers 

 itself with debris by means of its suckers, and thus hid, patiently 

 awaits its pre3^ The Poulpes are fished by means of an edible 

 morsel, attached to a line and slowly moved about their retreat. 

 An individual having enveloped the bait in his arms, is gently 

 drawn sufficiently near to the fisherman to enter a small hand- 

 net. In summer, the young octopods are caught by means of a 

 line armed with several hooks garnished with red cloth. By 

 quickly drawing in the line, the animals may be captured. This 

 is considered a fine pastime for the fine summer evenings at 

 Nice. The Octopus retains his vitalitj^ for a long time out of 

 the water, so that the fisherman is compelled to kill him at once 

 with his knife, to prevent escape. 



The meat of the Octopus has a well-marked taste, and is excel- 

 lent when young. It is regularly sold by fishermen in the 

 markets of Southern Europe. A section of an arm shows a white, 

 firm fiesh, resembling in appearance steaks of halibut. 



The largest Octopus seen by Yerany was over three yards in 

 length, and weighed 25 kilogrammes ; it was captured by a fisher- 

 man with his hands only, after a fatiguing struggle. 



The action of the suckers of the Poulpe upon the skin, the 

 serpentine motion and muscular force of its arms, and its hideous 

 aspect, have caused to be exaggerated, says M. Yerany, the mis- 

 deeds of this cephalopod, which is stupid and incapable of harm. 



Mr. Jeffreys, in his admirable "British Conchology," states 

 that the Octopus feeds principally on bivalves. The heaps of 

 shells around their dens, which are uncovered during the recess 

 of spring tides at Herm, are enormous ; in one of these heaps, 

 more than two thousand shells were counted, principally species 

 of Tapes. 



Lord's " Naturalist in British Columbia " contains the following 

 account of the Octopus : 



" The ordinary resting-place of this hideous sea-beast is under 



