Giant Pacific octopus(Enteroctopus dofleini)
is the largest octopus species
in the world. Its habitat
ranges along the continental
shelf of the north Pacific,
from southern California north
to the Gulf of Alaska, along
the Aleutian Islands and south
to Japan, at depths ranging
from intertidal to 750 meters.
In Alaska, giant Pacific octopus
are caught in pots (traps),
mostly in the Gulf of Alaska
and the Aleutian Islands.
Alaskan processors remove
eyes, beaks and sometimes
the head (“hood”),
freeze in IQF or pan-frozen
formats, and bag the octopus
in plastic or paper.
The most common size ranges
for Alaskan octopus are:
• 12-16 kg each
• 16-20 kg each
• over 20 kg each
