Habits . A red kangaroo can reach speeds of over 35 miles an hour. The giant Pacific octopus grows bigger and lives longer than any other octopus species. How long do octopuses live? Some species live on the floor of the ocean, making their homes out of caves. Best known for their eight limbs, octopuses possess a diverse arsenal of tactics meant to outsmart and flee from predators. The reality is that the East Pacific red octopus is a small to medium-sized octopod. Then, its beak pierces the crustacean's exoskeleton and delivers the paralyzing venom. This takes place at a depth of less than 50 meters. The octopus inhabits all oceans in depths that vary from 3 miles to more shallow waters along shorelines. Red Octopus Sporting a dull red-and-brown color combination on the top of his body with a lighter complexion on his lower half, the red octopus makes his natural home in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Other octopus species live in deep, dark waters, and rise from below at dawn and dusk to search for food. Our local red octopus, Octopus rubescens, can inflict a nasty nip when provoked. They only live in saltwater. Octopuses who live in colder water are usually the smaller octopus. The blue ringed octopus is an exception. Some species live on the floor of the ocean, making their homes out of caves. If marine biologists were confusing the East Pacific red octopus for the giant Pacific octopus, you’d think that the former would be a large creature. However, there are some kinds of octopus that live in relatively shallow waters. During incubation the female octopus will take to cleaning and aerating the eggs. The size record is held by a specimen that was 30 feet across and weighed more than 600 pounds. The smallest species measure only a few inches, while the largest, the giant Pacific octopus, can be 14 feet long. One other interesting characteristic is that the females usually die before their eggs are hatched, because the process of laying the eggs is so exhaustive. The Octopus of different species lives in every ocean of the world. They prefer to live in protected areas along the ocean floor such as coral reefs and rocky crevices. The venom is produced by bacteria in octopus' saliva. Life Span. Although some people believe that octopuses live for a long time, truth is that most of them have a relatively short lifespan. The largest octopus is believed to be the giant Pacific octopus, Enteroctopus dofleini which weigh about 15 kg (33 lb), and has an arm span up to 4.3 m (14 ft). They are very adaptable and live in everything from small swallow pool to depth up to 2,000 m (6,600 ft). The octopus is sometimes found in the nets of fishing boats that are out there to find other types of fish.