Octopus Caliber Guide: T1 to T7 Sizes Explained for Importers

What is an octopus caliber?

A caliber is a weight class defined by the weight of a single individual octopus piece — not the carton weight, not the total shipment. Importers specify calibers so they receive predictable per-piece weights for portioning, pricing, and end-use presentation at the destination.

Two sizing conventions exist in global octopus trade. In the West-African export scheme — used by Mauritanian and Moroccan exporters and the reference standard expected by most Japanese, European, and Middle-Eastern importers — T1 is the largest grade and T7 is the smallest. Certain Asian-origin exporters number in the opposite direction. When comparing specifications across suppliers, always confirm which end of the scale their T1 represents. Maurimar follows the West-African convention throughout: T1 largest, T7 smallest.

The full octopus caliber chart — T1 to T7

The table below is the West-African caliber reference as applied by Maurimar across both product lines. Weight ranges are per individual piece; pieces-per-kilo figures are approximations based on midpoint weights.

Which caliber suits which market?

Caliber preference is driven by end-use at the destination. The ranges below reflect purchasing patterns across Maurimar's export markets, based on 500+ tons shipped per year from Nouadhibou, Mauritania.

• Japan — sashimi and sushi distributors: T5 through T7. Smaller pieces portion cleanly for sashimi cuts and single-serve sushi presentations. Japanese trading houses typically specify T6 or T7 for standard sashimi-grade lots, where per-piece weight consistency is non-negotiable.
• France, Spain, Italy, Portugal: T3 through T6. Mediterranean cuisine favors mid-range pieces for grill, plancha, and traditional whole-octopus preparations such as pulpo a la gallega. T3 and T4 are the most frequently ordered calibers in this market.
• UAE and Saudi Arabia — hotel groups and premium food service: T2 through T5. Whole-piece display is a presentation standard in hotel F&B — banquet and tasting-menu formats drive demand for T2 and T3, where visual impact per piece matters.
• United States — specialty importers and ethnic distributors: T4 through T7, with T5 and T6 most common across food-service and retail channels.
• Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore: T5 through T7, consistent with Japan's preference for smaller, sashimi-cut-ready pieces.

How does Maurimar grade calibers?

Caliber grading takes place at step four of Maurimar's production process — at the processing facility in Nouadhibou, where octopus is cleaned, head-emptied, and physically sorted by individual piece weight into T1 through T7 before treatment routing and freezing.

Grading is performed by hand on the processing line. Trained QC staff apply weight and sensory checks against documented grade-boundary criteria. Quality is verified at four checkpoints across the full production cycle: on the boat at capture, at landing on the dock, during the processing step itself, and again before the reefer container is sealed for export. No batch advances to the next stage without clearing the checkpoint for that step.

Mixed calibers, treatments, and customization

Maurimar ships both single-caliber and mixed-caliber containers. Mixed containers are common for buyers who supply restaurant and retail channels from one import lot — for example, combining T3 and T4 in a single 20-foot reefer to cover different menu formats.

All seven calibers are available across both Fresh Frozen Japan Quality octopus and Iced octopus, in three treatment options: whole (emptied head), Tenderized Treatment (known in the trade as Flower), and custom preparations on request. IQF and block-frozen presentations are available for every caliber. For full packaging specifications and treatment descriptions, see Maurimar's specifications page.

Frequently asked questions

The caliber specifications on this page match those on Maurimar's quote request form — select the caliber or caliber mix that fits your channel and submit a request directly.