How large can the giant Pacific octopus become?

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A blue-ringed octopus with bright blue rings on its beige body crawls over a rocky, coral-strewn seabed. — cephalopod Blue-ringed octopus (genus *Hapalochlaena*).

The giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) is the largest known species of octopus. These cephalopods can reach lengths of up to 5.4 metres (18 feet) and possess an arm span of nearly 9 metres (30 feet).1