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DURING a recent deep-sea dive in the Hawaiian Archipelago, a remotely operated vehicle came across an unknown creature.
Unlike most cephalopods, the little octopus found by the NOAA Deep Discoverer lacks pigment, making it ghostlike and mysterious, and every bit adorable.
At more than 4,000 meters below the surface, this is the deepest observation ever published of this type of cephalopod, and researchers say its cartoonish appearance has social media users pushing to name it “Casper.”
The discovery was made during the first operational dive of Okeanos Explorer’s 2016 season Feb. 27.
Researchers planned to collect geological samples from the Necker Ridge in order to determine its possible connection with Necker Island.
But, during its mission, the remotely operated vehicle called Deep Discoverer found something extraordinary — a small octopus sitting on a rock.
The discovery was made at a depth of 4,290 meters.
Deep Discoverer captured detailed images of the octopus, allowing researchers to classify the animal among the incirrate octopods.
These kinds of octopods lack fins and cirri, the wispy strands on some octopuses’ arms.
This one, however, appeared to be low in muscle and lacks the pigment cells called chromatophores, which most cephalopods have.
And, its suckers are arranged in one series on each arm, as opposed to two.
The NOAA says the ghostly octopus is “almost certainly an undescribed species and may not belong to any described genus.”
Deep-sea octopods are classified within two groups — incirrates, like the unusual ghost specimen and cirrates.
Cirrate octopods are finned, also known as “dumbo” octopods.
They have fins on the sides of their bodies, and cirri associated with the suckers on their arms, NOAA explains.
While cirrate octopods have been reported even deeper than this find, even upwards of 5,000 meters, this is the deepest published report of an incirrate.
All others are recorded at depths less than 4,000 meters.
(SD-Agencies)
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