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Octopus

Where Caught

Found
Found and caught

Map of Australia showing where Octopus are found and caught.

When Caught

Year round

Important Features

Wild/Farmed: Wild
Habitat: Saltwater
Recovery Rate: Flesh: 90% of total weight

Octopus Research

FRDC provides a comprehensive search of the latest research papers and images on Octopus

Remarks

Octopuses are major predators of rocklobsters and fishing was initially based on a bycatch in commercial rocklobster fisheries. Some targeted octopus fisheries now exist and octopuses trawled incidentally in prawn and finfish fisheries in northern Australia are also retained and sold.

Tenderised octopus can be purchased from some retailers.

Octopuses over 2 kg in weight are usually sold without the head.

Imports

Japan:: giant North Pacific octopus (red octopus arms used in sushi)
South-east Asia:: baby octopus whole and cleaned (small species that are not found in Australia)

Common Size

up to 80 cm

Overseas Names

D: Krake; J: tako

Alternatives

squid & cuttlefish (pp 140 141)

Grading

Grading can vary by supplier and region. A grading system for octopus is presented below.

Terminology such as U-25 or U/25 is pronounced under twenty-five and refers to the number of octopuses per kilogram (in this case, fewer than twenty-five octopuses per kilogram). 26 40 is pronounced twenty-six forty and means that there are from twenty-six to forty octopuses per kilogram. Similar terminology sometimes refers to number per pound.

Large octopus

Not usually graded.

Baby octopus

Graded by count per pound

Octopus Octopus graptus

Photograph by Don Tuma

Nutrition Facts

per 100g of raw product

Kilojoules	na
Cholesterol	154 mg
Sodium	na
Total fat (oil)	1.0 g
Saturated fat	35% of total fat
Monounsaturated fat	7% of total fat
Polyunsaturated fat	58% of total fat
Omega-3, EPA	51 mg
Omega-3, DHA	156 mg
Omega-6, AA	42 mg

Data presented are for hammer octopus.

Cooking Ideas

Bake	Boil	Deep Fry
Grill/barbecue	Poach	Raw
Roe	Roe & Milk	Salted
Shallow Fry	Smoke	Steam/microwave

Note: Cooking Ideas identified by dark bold text are relevant to this species

Octopuses have an enjoyable mild flavour, with a texture similar to that of squids, though more dense.

Cook octopus quickly over a high heat or simmer slowly. Marinating will help to tenderise the flesh and strengthen the flavour for enhanced results when cooking quickly.

During preparation, remove the guts as explained in the Preparation chapter and the hard beak. Avoid serving the ink sac, but instead use it to darken or enrich accom-panying sauces, pasta, bouillabaisse or soups. The head is edible, but can be tough and chewy.

Marinated, blanched or char-grilled octopus is a trendy addition to warm salads or antipasto platters. Toss grilled or barbecued octopus with fresh basil, mint, coriander, chilli, Spanish onion or capsicum and serve with balsamic vinegar dressing.

Dried octopus is popular in some parts of Asia.

Flavour: Mild
Oiliness: Medium
Moisture: Dry
Texture: Firm
Flesh Colour: White. Outer skin is creamy, with grey tonings.
Price: Octopuses are low-priced molluscs.
Edibility: The guts, beak and eyes are usually removed, although the eyes are sometimes eaten in Asian cuisine. The arms are used in sushi.

Suggested Wines

For a warm octopus salad with a light dressing, an acidic light style such as a young riesling is complementary.

A more robust style of wine such an aged riesling or a marsanne is recommended with the stir-fried octopus with angel hair pasta recipe suggested by Wolfgang Schmelcher formerly of Sydney s Renaissance Hotel.

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