Anesthetics have been used in aquaculture to minimize the stress and damage of during harvesting, grading, transportation, spawning induction, and handling. In this study, the effects of several anesthetics, including magnesium sulphate, magnesium chloride, ethanol, eugenol, MS-222, manganese(II) chloride, lidocaine, procaine hydrochloride, ethylene glycol phenyl ether, L-menthol, benzocaine, and 2-trichloromethyl-2-propanol, on adult were tested at a temperature of (18±0.3)℃. The body weight range of adult octopuses was 138-151 g. Six concentration gradients were designed for each reagent. The results showed that magnesium sulfate, eugenol, MS-222, manganese(II) chloride, lidocaine, procaine hydrochloride, ethylene glycol phenyl ether, l-menthol, benzocaine, and 2-trichloromethyl-2-propanol had no anesthetic effects on . In solutions of 0.2-0.6 mL/L ethylene glycol phenyl ether, 0.05 g/L and 0.06 g/L L-menthol, 0.5 g/L benzocaine, 40 μL/L eugenol, and 50-500 mg/L MS-222, presented convulsions, rigidity, and ink-jets, which indicate toxic effects. Moreover, solutions of 2 mL/L ethanol and 2 g/L magnesium chloride had no anesthetic effects on . In solutions of 4-40 mL/L ethanol and 4-40 g/L magnesium chloride, was found to show anesthetic responses, such as gradually turning white in color, a decreased respiratory rate, weak swimming vitality, decreased wrist movement, and lack of response to external stimuli. Based on the different body color changes, swimming dynamic strengths, breathing rates, wrist activity strengths, sucker suction strengths, wrist responses to stimuli, and whether an upside-down individual can return to normal, the level of anesthesia was divided into five periods, whilst the recovery process was divided into four periods. Individuals in 15-35 g/L magnesium chloride and 10-40 mL/L ethanol can achieve phase 4 anesthesia, this stage is most suitable for the observations and measurements of . Individuals in phase 5 can recover quickly after being transferred into normal environment without an anesthetic. As the concentration of ethanol solution increased from 4 mL/L to 35 mL/L, the anesthesia time decreased from 128 to 8 minutes, while the recovery time increased from 5 to 26 minutes, indicating a positive correlation between anesthesia time and concentration of ethanol, and a negative correlation between recovery time and concentration of ethanol. At 40 mL/L, the anesthesia time increased due to the stress reaction of . As the concentration of magnesium chloride solution increased from 3 g/L to 35 g/L, the anesthesia time presented a gradually decreasing trend from 176 to 13 minutes, and the recovery time presented a gradually increasing trend from 6 to 116 minutes, indicating results similar to those of ethanol. Individuals in 40 mL/L of ethanol and 35 g/L of magnesium chloride could reach phase 5 anesthesia, which is characterized by a lack of breathing. in these conditions would die if not transferred in a timely manner, thus high concentrations of ethanol and magnesium chloride are lethal to . The anesthesia and recovery times for 10 mL/L of ethanol and 20g/L of magnesium chloride were the shortest, which were 26 and 40 minutes, respectively. The present study demonstrated that ethanol and magnesium chloride solutions are effective anesthetic agents for .