Scientists discovered a rare “Dumbo” octopus near the Hawaiian Islands.
The sea creature was spotted a mile below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, close by an unnamed seamount in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, according to a USA Today report.
Video captured by the Ocean Exploration Trust and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reveals the deep-sea Dumbo octopus swimming near the northwest of Hawaii.
The rare Dumbo octopuses are the deepest-living octopuses who typically live up to 13,000 feet below the ocean’s surface, according to National Geographic.
Scientists refer to the sea animal as “Dumbo” because of the two large fins on their mantle that appear like ears, resembling the animated Disney elephant character with large ears.
The large fin-like ears are handy for the creature who uses them to capture food. According to Oceana.org, the 7.9- to 12-inch octopus consumes snails, worms and other creatures that live near the ocean floor.
Unlike most octopuses, this sea creature doesn’t have ink sacs, which are normally used as a defensive mechanism. The lack of defense doesn’t impact the cephalopod, because it rarely encounters predators in the deep sea.
According to Ocean Exploration Trust, scientists are “urgently needed to address local management and science needs, including a better understanding of the deep-sea natural and cultural resources, biogeographic patterns of species distributions and seamount geologic history.”
In 2020, marine biologist Alan Jamieson spotted a Dumbo octopus more than 4 miles down in the Indian Ocean’s Java Trench, claiming octopuses can find potentially suitable habitats on almost any seabed.
To make this happen, the cephalopod “will need some smart biochemistry to make sure it retains that sphere,” he told the BBC. “All the adaptations you need to live at pressure are at the cellular level.”