Overview
- Researchers formally described Microeledone galapagensis in a Zootaxa paper published in May 2026 after years of analysis.
- The octopus was first seen and collected by an ROV during an E/V Nautilus expedition on Darwin Island in July 2015 at about 1,773 meters depth.
- The sole specimen was catalogued at the Charles Darwin Research Station and studied non‑destructively with micro‑CT imaging at the Field Museum so internal anatomy could be examined without cutting the type specimen.
- Anatomical traits such as smooth dorsal skin, a single row of suckers on short arms, a large funnel gland and a single large tooth led researchers to place it in the genus Microeledone rather than related Thaumelodone groups.
- Authors say the find highlights how much of the deep seafloor remains unknown and raises conservation concerns because activities like deep‑sea mining and climate change could threaten species before they are documented.