The animal kingdom is full of fascinating collective nouns, from a murder of crows to a convocation of eagles. This tradition of naming groups often leads people to wonder what term is used for a collection of octopuses, one of the ocean’s most intelligent invertebrates. The answer reveals more about the animal’s biology and behavior than it does about grammar. The life of an octopus is largely defined by its unique characteristics, including a sophisticated nervous system and a generally isolated existence beneath the waves.
The Collective Noun Mystery
There is no formal, universally accepted collective noun for a group of octopuses, unlike terms such as “school” for fish. The lack of an established term reflects the reality that these animals rarely congregate in the wild, making a specific group name unnecessary for researchers or naturalists. Informal suggestions, such as a “consortium” or a “tangle,” have occasionally been floated, but these are not recognized in scientific literature or common usage. Ultimately, the most technically accurate way to refer to multiple octopuses is simply “octopuses.”
Solitary Hunters and Territorial Behavior
The primary reason a collective noun is absent is that most of the nearly 300 known octopus species are solitary creatures. They are highly territorial, spending the majority of their short lifespans—typically one to three years—alone in hidden dens. Octopuses are ambush predators, and their hunting strategy requires isolation and a large, undisturbed territory to thrive.
Interaction with other octopuses, outside of brief mating encounters, is usually competitive or antagonistic. The presence of another octopus often signals a threat to resources like shelter or food. This need for isolation and defense of personal space drives them to live as loners, as prolonged cohabitation is typically not sustainable for most species.
Rare Aggregations: When Octopuses Do Gather
Despite their solitary nature, rare exceptions have been observed, fueling the question of a collective noun. The most notable examples are the high-density settlements, “Octopolis” and “Octlantis,” discovered off the coast of Australia in Jervis Bay. These sites host the gloomy octopus (Octopus tetricus) in close proximity.
Octopolis, found in 2009, is centered around scallop shells and scrap metal, while Octlantis is built around natural rock outcroppings. Up to 15 individuals have been observed building and occupying dens within a few square meters. Researchers believe these aggregations are resource-driven, occurring where food is abundant and suitable den sites are limited.
The octopuses at these sites engage in complex interactions, including threat displays, den evictions, and signaling using body posture and color changes. They form dominance hierarchies, with darker colors associated with aggressive behavior and paler colors with retreat.
Marks of Intelligence
The complex behaviors seen in rare groupings highlight the intelligence of the octopus, distinguishing them from most other invertebrates. Their cognition is evident in sophisticated problem-solving capabilities, such as opening screw-top jars to access food. This problem-solving extends to their natural environment, where they have demonstrated tool use.
For example, the veined octopus (Amphioctopus marginatus) has been observed carrying coconut shell halves to be reassembled later as a portable shelter. Their ability to change skin color, texture, and pattern to perfectly match their surroundings is a complex display of advanced visual processing and spatial awareness. This high degree of individual intelligence suggests that their solitary lifestyle is a choice for maximum efficiency rather than a lack of social capacity.