Octopus bimaculatus

Verrill's two-spot octopus
Cayucos, California, 2021
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Octopoda
Family: Octopodidae
Genus: Octopus
Species:
O. bimaculatus
Binomial name
Octopus bimaculatus
Verrill, 1883

Octopus bimaculatus, commonly referred to as Verrill's two-spot octopus, is a similar species to the California two-spot octopus (Octopus bimaculoides), which it is often mistaken for. The two can be distinguished by the difference in the blue and black chain-like pattern of the ocelli. O. bimaculatus hunt and feed on a diverse number of benthic organisms that also reside off the coast of Southern California. Once the octopus reaches sexual maturity, it shortly dies after mating, which is approximately 12–18 months after hatching. Embryonic development tends to be rapid due to this short lifespan of these organisms.