Tiny blue octopus identified as new species
The species, now identified as Microeledone galapagensis, was first discovered in the Galápagos by researchers in 2015.
Scientists have identified a tiny blue octopus previously discovered in the Galápagos Islands as a new species.
The female cephalopod, which has blue flesh and large eyes, was compared to a plush toy by a discovery crew member, noted CNN.
Audio from the remotely operated vehicle captured scientists’ first reactions to the animal: “He’s tiny ... It’s blue!”
In a recent study published in the journal Zootaxa, scientists named the new octopus species: Microeledone galapagensis.
The study also described the creature’s notable features, which include short arms, few arm suckers, smooth skin and lack of an ink sac.
The new species of octopus, Microeledone galapagensis, found 5,800 feet deep in the ocean near Darwin Island (Photo by the Charles Darwin Foundation)
According to National Geographic, deep-sea researchers aboard the E/V Nautilus first found the golf ball-sized creature in 2015 near an underwater mountain 1,773 meters deep, close to Darwin Island. Its blue hue, the rarest color in nature, stood out against the sand.
The crew, using a remotely operated underwater robot to explore the ocean floor, noticed the octopus on the ROV camera, explained the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF), which collaborated with the expedition along with the Galápagos National Park Directorate (GNPD). The crew used the ROV to collect the creature, unsure which species it belonged to.
Janet Voight, curator emerita of invertebrates at the Field Museum in Chicago and the lead author of the Zootaxa study, also knew the octopus was different upon seeing its picture.
“Right away, I knew it was something really special,” said Voight in a news release. “I’d never seen anything like it.”
After collection, the team at the Research Station in Galápagos preserved the octopus’ body in formalin and alcohol, according to the CDF. They then sent it to Voight, an octopus expert, to examine at the Field Museum in Chicago. Since the creature was one-of-a-kind and she didn’t want to damage the specimen, Voight worked with another scientist to create CT scans of the octopus. The imaging allowed researchers to create a 3D model of the creature, which revealed fine details of its internal organs.
“When we were sorting through dozens of specimens collected during the expedition, this tiny blue octopus fascinated us,” said Dr. Salome Buglass, marine scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles, and study co-author. “There was something unusual about it, so we went out of our way to find the right person to help us identify what it was. Getting the specimen to Janet was a long process, but one I would gladly repeat if it means getting to know the most precious parts of our ocean just a little bit better."
Scientists created a 3D model of the octopus, Microeledone galapagensis, using a CT scanner (Photo by the Charles Darwin Foundation)
National Geographic noted Microeledone galapagensis’ unique pigment could be part of a survival strategy. The creature’s back has almost no pigment while the inside of its mantle is a deep purple, a hiding technique called “reverse countershading.” This means that looking up from below, marine life blends in with the sun. Looking down, they blend in with the murky sea floor. Scientists are still researching, but their theory is that reverse countershading helps the octopus hide from predators while it eats bioluminescent creatures.
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