Home How to cite this site Terms & conditions Disclaimer Contact Site tutorial / Help Links	Eledone cirrhosa Curled octopus Kleiner Krake Subspecies Original description Synonyms Eledone cirrhosa Eledone cirrosa Identification Smaller than Octopus vulgaris, the females are up to 40 cm long. But note that this is only valid for German specimens; specimens from the Mediterranean may be up to 50 cm. Ground color light brown, yellow-brown or reddish-brown, sometimes gray-brown or darker. Usually with white speckles. The species can change its color to whitish gray if agitated. The suckers on the arms form a single row. This is different from Octopus vulgaris, where two rows of suckers run in parallel along the length of the arms. Distribution Recorded from the north-eastern Atlantic, the southern North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea (especially in the western part). In Germany, the species has been recorded in the German Bight and around Helgoland, but appears to be rare.   Biology Lives as a ground-dweller in the continental shelf zone (20-150 meters), but may occasionally be found deeper on the continental slope at depths of up to 500 meters. Males and females occur at different depths (males are usually found at greater depths) except during mating season, which is in the summer (mainly July). One female can produce up to 1000 eggs. The life span of this species is unclear, but might be 3 years or more. This page has been updated on March 12, 2013 This site is online since May 31, 2005 Copyright © by Nikola-Michael Prpic-Schäper. All rights reserved.