A team of researchers from the organization Ocean Exploration Trust has located a unique specimen of ‘Dumbo octopus’ in the depths of the Pacific Ocean.
The images were captured remotely by the research vessel E/V Nautilus, who is exploring the Papahnaumokukea Marine National Monumenta marine protected area of more than 500,000 square miles northwest of Hawaii.
The expedition recorded the animal while it explored the ocean floor at 1.682 metros (5,518 feet). “When I saw it on the screen, I couldn’t even say anything,” Jaina Galves, a member of the team that controlled the underwater camera, told ACB News.
The ‘Dumbo octopus’ spotted belongs to the species Grimpoteuthis, identified in 2021. It is characterized by its ear-shaped fins and can reach 20 centimeters in length.
In the video published by E/V Nautilus researchers you can see how the animal lives and moves in the depths of the sea.