Unfurling the changing fate of octopuses in Irish waters

In recent years, the less frequently encountered common octopus has been showing up more in Irish waters, an influx that may spell changes in Ireland’s marine areas

The octopus commonly encountered in Irish waters is a small species - the curled octopus, also known as the lesser octopus. All around our coastline, the curled octopus grows to around 50cm, whereas the Mediterranean species grows up to 130cm in length. Picture: iStock

Octopuses are perplexing creatures, popular characters in books, films and cartoons because of their intriguing physical abilities and impressive intelligence. Now, with warming waters around Ireland and Britain, it seems that octopus are getting more common here.

The common octopus, ( Octopus vulgaris Cuvier) occurs in tropical and temperate seas around the world, from Japan to South Africa, the mediterranean, and the East coast of North America. Here in Irish waters, however, it’s a little too cold for this species to thrive, and records for their occurrence are only occasional.