I think I have been mistaken.. I was under the assumption that pale malt was 2 row and only 2 row. Now I see an IIPA recipoe I want to try that has listed pale malt/maris otter as if maris otter is the pale malt to use? So is maris otter a TYPE of pale malt or are they offering options of which to use? I know probably a dumb question but you dont know if you dont ask.
There are tons of types of pale malt. They refer to different strains of barley used to produce the particular malt, to the specific malting process, to the maltster's branding, and/or to the final flavor profile (e.g. many maltsters produce Marris Otter and Golden Promise pale malts, while Optic is a Fawcett-specific brand name). Often they aren't published--most bulk grain is just sold as "pale malt" or "2-row". But some have slightly different flavor profiles and are sold as a "prestige" name.
Marris Otter, Golden Promise, Optic, Halcyon, Harrington, Metcalfe, Copeland, etc...the list goes on. They're all kinds of pale malt.
Maris Otter, Golden Promise, Halcyon, and Optic are English varieties; they are all a bit maltier/grainier with a hint of a biscuit tone to them. To me, Marris Otter tends to be slightly less biscuity than Golden Promise/Optic, but that can vary between brands.
The differences are fairly subtle compared to the difference between, say, 2-row and Crystal 20. But they can help lend a unique backbone to your beer.