Octopus vs Squid vs Cuttlefish: What's the Difference?

Quick answer: All three are cephalopods. Octopus has 8 arms, no tentacles, no internal shell, and is the meatiest; it needs long, slow cooking. Squid (calamari) has 8 arms + 2 tentacles, a torpedo body, and a clear plastic-like quill; it is mild and tender if cooked fast or slow. Cuttlefish has 8 arms + 2 tentacles, a wide flat body, and a hard cuttlebone; it is the richest and most tender of the three.

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How to Tell Them Apart

	Squid (calamari)	Octopus	Cuttlefish
Arms / tentacles	8 arms + 2 long tentacles	8 arms, no tentacles	8 arms + 2 tentacles
Body shape	Torpedo, fins at tail	Round, soft head	Wide, flat oval
Internal shell	Clear plastic-like quill	None	Hard cuttlebone
Texture	Mild, tender when quick or slow	Meaty, firm	Richest, most tender
Best for	Rings, frying, quick grill	Grilling after slow cook	Scored grill, stews, ink dishes
Tenderness	Fast or slow only	Needs long cooking	Most forgiving

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Squid / Calamari: The Mild All-Rounder

Squid has a torpedo-shaped body with two fins at the tail, eight arms, and two longer tentacles. Inside is the clear, plastic-like quill. In Australia, squid and calamari mean much the same thing (calamari often being the more tender species).

• Taste: mild, clean, slightly sweet
• Best for: calamari rings, salt & pepper squid, quick grilling, stir-fries
• The catch: it goes rubbery if cooked for the wrong length of time

→ Master it: how to cook tender calamari · how to clean squid & calamari

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Octopus: The Meaty One

Octopus has eight arms and no tentacles, a soft round head, and no internal shell at all. It's the meatiest of the three, with a savoury, almost "meat-like" character once cooked.

• Taste: rich, savoury, meaty
• Best for: grilling and charring, after tenderising
• The catch: it's tough raw and needs a long, gentle cook (45–60 min simmer) before it turns tender

Baby octopus is the easy exception. Naturally tender, it just needs quick, hot cooking.

→ Prep it: how to clean octopus

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Cuttlefish: The Rich, Tender Secret

Cuttlefish looks like a wider, flatter squid, with eight arms, two tentacles, and a hard internal cuttlebone (the white oval you've seen in budgie cages). Its meat is thicker, richer, and more tender than squid, and it carries lots of ink.

• Taste: rich, slightly sweet, meatier bite than squid
• Best for: scoring and grilling, seafood stews, squid-ink pasta and rice
• The bonus: it's the most forgiving of the three to cook

Clean it just like squid (remove the cuttlebone, guts, beak, and skin), then cook it fast-and-hot or slow-and-low.

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Which Should You Buy?

You want to make…	Best choice
Calamari rings (fried)	Squid tubes
Salt & pepper "calamari"	Squid
Charred grilled tentacles	Octopus (tenderised) or cuttlefish
A rich seafood stew	Cuttlefish
Squid-ink pasta or risotto	Cuttlefish (most ink) or squid
Quick weeknight grill	Baby octopus or cuttlefish strips
Most tender, beginner-friendly	Cuttlefish or baby octopus

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They Cook by the Same Rule (Mostly)

Squid and cuttlefish both follow the fast-or-slow rule: sear in 1–2 minutes or braise for 30–45 minutes, never in between. Octopus is the outlier: it wants the slow route (or a tenderising step) almost every time, then a quick char to finish.

Full method: how to cook tender calamari.

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Buying Squid, Octopus & Cuttlefish on the Gold Coast

Tasman Star Seafood stocks all three, fresh and frozen, at both stores:

• Varsity Lakes: 20 Casua Dr, (07) 5522 1221
• Labrador: 5–7 Olsen Ave, (07) 5529 2500

We carry fresh local squid, squid tubes and fillets, baby octopus, whole and cooked octopus, and whole and cleaned cuttlefish. Gold Coast home delivery runs 7 days a week.

Browse squid, octopus & cuttlefish at Tasman Star →

→ Next: how to clean squid & calamari · how to clean octopus · how to cook tender calamari