Overview
- A Charles Darwin Foundation submersible observed and recovered a single tiny octopus nearly 1,800 meters below the Galápagos, and images and the captured specimen showed it measured about 5 cm, roughly the size of a golf ball.
- Scientists formally named the animal Microeledone galapagensis and published the species description in Zootaxa after sending the sole specimen to the Field Museum in Chicago for study.
- Researchers used micro-computed tomography scans instead of dissection because the specimen was fragile, allowing three-dimensional study of internal anatomy without destroying the only sample.
- The octopus has short, robust arms with a single row of suckers and a blue dorsal surface with a dark purple underside, traits researchers say may hide bioluminescent prey and reduce predator attraction.
- With only one specimen, scientists say key questions remain about its genetics, behavior and range; the find also challenges assumptions about Megaleledonidae distribution and highlights how much of the deep sea near Galápagos is still unexplored.