giant Pacific octopus; North Pacific giant octopus
Refers specifically to Enteroctopus dofleini, the largest octopus species, found in the North Pacific.
The giant Pacific octopus is one of the largest octopus species in the world.
Giant Pacific octopuses are often caught in Hokkaido.
Common octopus (Octopus sinensis), the typical octopus eaten in Japan; smaller and more familiar than ミズダコ.
General term for octopus; ミズダコ is a specific species.
Katakana spelling is standard for this species name; usually written in kana.
Kanji spelling using 蛸 for octopus; rarely used in practice.
Kanji spelling using 章魚 for octopus; very rare.
Compound of 水 (mizu, 'water') and 蛸 (tako, 'octopus'), literally 'water octopus'. The exact origin of the name is uncertain, but it likely refers to its aquatic habitat or appearance.