Changos octopus, previously known as Octopus vulgaris but differentiated first morphologically and then with genetic testing (Warnke et al. 2000)(Perez-Losada et al. 2002), is distributed from the Gulf of California (previously believed to be a different species (Pliego-Cardenas et al. 2014)) in the north until the region of Valparaiso, in Chile to the south, from 0 to 30 meters deep (Guerra et al. 1999)(Magallón-Gayón et al. 2020)​(Pliego-Cardenas et al. 2020). A break in the distribution was suggested, with two differentiated populations, one north of Peru, and the other considered the Peruvian province and to the south, meaning that there would be no differences found between Chilean and Peruvian octopuses (Pliego-Cardenas et al. 2020). Even though the low levels of genetic diversity along the Humbold Current System (Pardo-Gandarillas et al. 2018) reinforce the idea, no chilean samples were used in the study (Pliego-Cardenas et al. 2020), which brings uncertainty to this finding.

In order to differentiate which populations are the source and which ones are receivers of larvae (Galleguillos et al. 2010) found that several populations are separated genetically in the north of Chile, with a connection through larval dispersion from southern populations to the northern ones. (Pizarro et al. 2009) found a spatial correlation in population structure with spatial scales of upwelling events and the topography of the coastline. Despite the information available, the stock structure is not clear; further studies need to be conducted.

Management considers only one unit, including the regions of Arica y Parinacota (previously known as Region XV), Tarapacá (previously known as Region I), Antofagasta (previously known as Region II), Atacama (previously known as Region III) and Coquimbo (previously known as Region IV) (Subpesca 2020). Another management regime exists in Chile, called MEABRs (Management and Exploitation Areas for Benthic Resources), but landings are minor compared to the general regime, according to yearly Sernapesca statistics reports (in the period 2012-2020 total landings were 18,807 tons and only 671 tons, 3.5%, corresponding to MEABR landings; (SERNAPESCA n.d.)).