Callistoctopus
# Callistoctopus

Callistoctopus is a genus of nocturnal, orange octopuses in the family Octopodidae. They are readily identifiable by their reddish coloring, the white papillae that line their bodies, and their long arms. Though sympatric with diurnal Octopus species, they avoid competition by hunting at night. In acknowledgement of this preference, many species of Callistoctopus are referred to as night octopuses. Well-known species include C. macropus (Atlantic white-spotted octopus) and the type species C. ornatus (ornate octopus), both of which are harvested for human consumption as seafood.

## Species

* Callistoctopus alpheus (Norman, 1993) – Capricorn night octopus
* Callistoctopus aspilosomatis (Norman, 1993) – plainbody night octopus
* Callistoctopus bunurong (Stranks, 1990) – southern white-spot octopus
* Callistoctopus dierythraeus (Norman, 1992) – red-spot night octopus
* Callistoctopus graptus (Norman, 1992) – scribbled night octopus
* Callistoctopus kermadecensis (Berry, 1914)
* Callistoctopus lechenaultii (d'Orbigny, 1826)
* Callistoctopus luteus (Sasaki, 1929) – starry night octopus
* Callistoctopus macropus (Risso, 1826) – Atlantic white-spotted octopus
* Callistoctopus nocturnus (Norman & Sweeney, 1997)
* Callistoctopus ornatus (Gould, 1852) – ornate octopus
* Callistoctopus rapanui (Voss, 1979)

### Species brought into synonymy

* Callistoctopus arakawai (Taki, 1964): synonym of Callistoctopus ornatus (Gould, 1852)
* Callistoctopus magnocellatus (Taki, 1964): synonym of Octopus cyanea Gray, 1849

### Taxa inquirenda

* Callistoctopus furvus (Gould, 1852): potential name for West Atlantic octopuses currently under C. macropus
* Callistoctopus taprobanensis (Robson, 1926)
