My origin of reference being restaurants and cafes where they're served small and whole, generally just stir-fried.
2007-01-27 22:18:33 · 11 answers · asked by Jonathan 4 in Food & Drink ➔ Other - Food & Drink
I'm not asking what the plural of "Octopus" is, I'm asking whether or not - with relevant sources rather than just opinion - "Baby Octopus" is an infant Octopus or not.
2007-01-28 09:07:55 · update #1
My answer, without giving off a God complex like p.c....
They're baby octopi. Like any cuts of younger "meat", baby octopus tends to be more tender than its full-grown counterpart, and take half the time to cook, as the reason to why they're used more often.
Watch out for the small blue-ringed octopuses (they're a species of small octopus). They're poisonous.
*BTW, penny century, "octopi" and "octopuses" are the accepted designations for the plural of octopus. There is no such thing as "octopedes" in concern to octopus in fully standard English.
2007-01-27 23:22:57 · answer #1 · answered by G G 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Baby Octopi
2016-11-12 08:34:45 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Generally, classification of different species doesn't really on size alone. And I would say your baby octopus is an infant octopus rather than classify it as a new species or different organism. I would suggest you ask the restaurant what species of octopus they serve.. Then you can see look it up in the internet as to how big or small it can get.
By the way, octopus is its scientific name as well as common name..
2007-02-03 20:28:08 · answer #3 · answered by amdG! 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think most varieties of octopus used in cooking are large ( 1-2 ft ) so when they say 'baby' they mean infant octopus, rather than small octopus.
BTW, the plural of octopus is not 'octopi' it is 'octopuses' or you could say 'octopedes'. Octopus is a word with a Greek root so the plural never ends in an 'i'. Pedantic, I know!
To Other Poster - Octopedes/podes is theotretically correct due to it being the plural in Greek. Octopi is only 'accepted' ( OED ) as it is such a common mistake. Nevertheless, it is a mistake. The best word to use is 'octopuses' as everyone is happy with that one.
2007-01-27 23:20:00 · answer #4 · answered by penny century 5 · 0⤊ 4⤋
Yes they are "infant octopi" because all octopus grow up to be a reasonable size if not bigger.
2007-02-03 13:42:04 · answer #5 · answered by beaner 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes, they are infant octopuses, although I think the ones served in restaurants are much larger than they were when the very first hatched. And, octopuses is the actual plural of octopus.
2016-03-18 00:55:38 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Baby octopus is what we called larvae, or larval octopi.
2007-02-03 02:43:14 · answer #7 · answered by Am just a Jealous Guy 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
the plural is octapi like cactus to cacti, but I think they are just a baby of that species
2007-02-01 16:12:12 · answer #8 · answered by ph0ph0l4nd 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I not really sure but i think that it is a different species.
2007-02-04 08:03:57 · answer #9 · answered by dragonfly 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
either way.
2007-02-04 16:39:03 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋