A LITTLE WILDLIFE PERSPECTIVE
How big is a giant Pacific octopus?
Compare your height to a giant Pacific octopus.
A giant Pacific octopus can span around 2–4 m (7–13 ft) or more across its arms. This top view shows an illustrative 3 m spread.
A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE
Giant Pacific octopus
next to the average.
Average U.S. adults, side by side.
Top view · example 3 m arm span in this pose
- Average man (U.S.)5 ft 8.9 in
- Giant Pacific octopus9 ft 3.1 in
- Average woman (U.S.)5 ft 3.5 in
How do you measure up?
Enter your height to stand beside a giant Pacific octopus.
Side by side
- Giant Pacific octopus9 ft 3.1 in
- Your placeAdd your height
The animal is an example adult in the pose shown. Its full outline is scaled to 282.2 cm vertically. Top view · example 3 m arm span in this pose. Shoulder height and body length are explained below.
Where do you stand?
Keep this comparison and open the full library of people, celebrities, animals, and objects.
GET TO KNOW THE ANIMAL
Small facts. Big discoveries.
Giant Pacific octopus · Enteroctopus dofleini
Eight flexible arms let an octopus explore cracks, grip prey, and move across the seafloor. Its soft body can squeeze into surprisingly narrow spaces.
A female giant Pacific octopus hangs eggs inside a den and tends them as they develop. Octopuses can change their appearance to blend into the surroundings, and they are skilled at exploring unfamiliar objects.
- An octopus is a mollusc, related to clams and snails.
- Young giant Pacific octopuses hatch from eggs about the size of a grain of rice.
How big do adults get?
- Male
- Shared arm-span guide: 2–4 m or more
- Female
- Shared arm-span guide: 2–4 m or more
Arm span changes with the pose. This is a view from above, not an upright octopus or its body thickness. The same broad size guide is shown for both sexes.
Height, length, or weight?
Standing height runs from the ground to the top of the animal. Shoulder height stops at the top of the shoulders. Length runs along the body; it is not how tall an animal stands. Weight tells us how heavy it is.
Explore the science: Monterey Bay Aquarium ↗