FAQ

A contribution of The Cephalopod Page

Is the Bathypolypus arcticus octopus rare?

**Thanks to Sara Kennedy for submitting this question**
Question:
Dear Dr. Wood,

I am so happy to have found your information on Bathypolypus arcticus. We live on Cape Cod. Recently a fisherman caught a female in his net. With her were her eggs. Currently the octopus is at the Museum of Natural History in Brewster Massachusetts.
I have a six year old and a three year old. We will be going to visit the octopus this weekend. Your information has been very helpful in educating us about this very interesting creature.

My 6 year old son has asked how many of these creatures are actually in existence? Is it very rare to find one in New England waters?

Thank you for the great information,

Sincerely,
Sara,
The Kennedy Family.
Answer:
Sara,

I'm glad you enjoyed my web page. All three articles from your local paper are online on The Cephalopod Page as well as my page on Bathypolypus arcticus. These little octopuses aren't rare in their natural environment, they are just rarely seen as they live in deep water. Rocks from the moon are not rare, the moon is full of them, but actually seeing one would be rare as they are hard to get. The same is true for many deep-sea creatures. Most people don't know we even have octopuses in your area as they are not observed by divers. Since we have trouble getting just a few of these octopuses, there is no way to count them to know how many there are.

Collecting a female with eggs is special, as it has only happened twice,

Dr. James Wood

Last updated June 30, 2003 by Catriona Day.