Overview
- Scientists formally described Microeledone galapagensis in May 2026 based on a female collected and video of two others from a deep‑sea ROV survey near Darwin Island.
- The animals were first filmed and one specimen collected during a July 2015 E/V Nautilus dive at about 1,773–1,800 meters depth.
- The octopus is roughly golf‑ball sized, pale blue on top and dark violet below, with short 3–4 cm arms bearing about 30 suckers in a single row.
- Researchers used thousands of micro‑CT scans to build a 3‑D anatomical model instead of dissecting the only specimen, which revealed internal features including an ovary with 13 eggs.
- The species most closely resembles an octopus off Uruguay, a surprising biogeographic link that the authors say requires more specimens and genetic data to explain and highlights how ROV archives expand deep‑sea discovery.