An octopus has eight limbs in total, but they are technically arms , not legs or tentacles.

Quick Scoop

  • In everyday language, people often say an octopus has “eight legs,” but biologists describe them as eight arms.
  • Some researchers informally say octopuses have six “arms” and two “legs” because the two rear limbs are used more for walking on the seafloor.
  • The limbs are very flexible, lined with suckers, and are used for walking, grabbing prey, exploring, and even tasting the environment.

So, if you’re being casual: an octopus has eight legs.
If you’re being precise: an octopus has eight arms, and behaviorally it often uses six like arms and two more like legs.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.