Sometimes taxonomists create new names for groups that already have a name. They may do this because they are unaware of the original name, or they may think the organism before them belongs to a different group when in fact it does not. If two or more names are found to apply to the same group, they are considered synonyms. In most cases, the first name takes priority and is considered to be the valid or accepted name. However, there can be exceptions, and it's not always easy to determine which of a series of synonyms should be considered valid or accepted. Here we list the synonyms provided to EOL by our classification partners. We also include other versions of the name that most likely refer to the same group, for example, misspellings in the literature or different variations of the authorship associated with the name.
marks the preferred name from each source.
World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS)
| Name | Relationship |
|---|---|
| Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797 | Preferred |
| Octopus albus Rafinesque, 1814 | Synonym |
| Octopus americanus Montfort, 1802 | Synonym |
| Octopus bitentaculatus Risso, 1854 | Synonym |
| Octopus brevitentaculatus Blainville, 1826 | Synonym |
| Octopus cassiopeia Gray, 1849 | Synonym |
| Octopus coerulescentes Fra Piero, 1895 | Synonym |
| Octopus heteropus Rafinesque, 1814 | Synonym |
| Octopus maculatus Rafinesque, 1814 | Synonym |
| Octopus moschatus Rafinesque, 1814 | Synonym |
| Octopus niger Risso, 1854 | Junior synonym |
| Octopus niger Rafinesque, 1814 | Synonym |
| Octopus octopodia Tryon, 1879 | Synonym |
| Octopus pilosus Risso, 1826 | Synonym |
| Octopus rabassin Risso, 1854 | Synonym |
| Octopus ruber Rafinesque, 1814 | Synonym |
| Octopus sinensis d'Orbigny, 1834 | Synonym |
| Octopus tetradynamus Rafinesque, 1814 | Synonym |
| Octopus tritentaculatus Risso, 1854 | Synonym |
| Octopus troscheli Targioni-Tozzetti, 1869 | Synonym |
| Octopus tuberculatus Targioni-Tozzetti, 1869 | Synonym |
Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS)
| Name | Relationship |
|---|---|
| Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797 | Preferred |
| Octopus vulgaris americanus D'Orbigny, 1842 In R. de la Sagra, 1838-1857 | Junior synonym |
| Octopus rugosus (Bosc, 1792) | Junior synonym |
| Octopus vulgare Cuvier, 1797 | Original name/combination |
| Octopus brevitentaculatus Blainville, 1826 | Junior synonym |
| Octopus cassiopeia Gray, 1849 | Junior synonym |
| Octopus coerulescentes Arbanasich, 1895 | Junior synonym |
| Sepia granulata Bosc, 1792 | Junior synonym |
| Octopus granulatus Lamarck, 1798 | Junior synonym |
| Octopus incertus Targioni-Tozzetti, 1869 | Junior synonym |
| Sepia rugosa Bosc, 1792 | Junior synonym |
| Octopus niger Risso, 1854 | Junior synonym |
| Octopus troscheli Targioni-Tozzetti, 1869 | Junior synonym |
| Octopus tuberculatus Blainville, 1826 | Junior synonym |
| Octopus tuberculatus Risso, 1826 | Junior synonym |
| Octopus ruber Rafinesque, 1814 | Junior synonym |
| Octopus tetradynamus Rafinesque, 1814 | Junior synonym |
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: April 2013
| Name | Relationship |
|---|---|
| Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797 | Preferred |
| Octopus tuberculatus Targioni-Tozzetti, 1869 | Synonym |
| Octopus brevitentaculatus Blainville, 1826 | Synonym |
| Octopus americanus Montfort, 1802 | Synonym |
| Octopus albus Rafinesque, 1814 | Synonym |
| Octopus niger Rafinesque, 1814 | Synonym |
| Octopus octopodia Tryon, 1879 | Synonym |
| Octopus heteropus Rafinesque, 1814 | Synonym |
| Octopus moschatus Rafinesque, 1814 | Synonym |
| Octopus sinensis d'Orbigny, 1834 | Synonym |
| Octopus bitentaculatus Risso, 1854 | Synonym |
| Octopus tritentaculatus Risso, 1854 | Synonym |
| Octopus ruber Rafinesque, 1814 | Synonym |
| Octopus pilosus Risso, 1826 | Synonym |
| Octopus rabassin Risso, 1854 | Synonym |
| Octopus tetradynamus Rafinesque, 1814 | Synonym |
| Octopus troscheli Targioni-Tozzetti, 1869 | Synonym |
| Octopus maculatus Rafinesque, 1814 | Synonym |
| Octopus cassiopeia Gray, 1849 | Synonym |
| Octopus coerulescentes Fra Piero, 1895 | Synonym |
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