Deepest Ever Sighting Of Octopus In Indian Ocean, Scientists Name It 'Dumbo'
Marine ecologist Alan Jamieson, who led the team that made the discovery told CNN that having completed more than 100 dives, the team had an idea of what types of wildlife, including fish and crustaceans, they would observe on the sea bed.
The deepest known sighting of an octopus has been captured on film at a place where not even a drop of sunlight can penetrate. The dumbo octopus as scientists call it (genus Grimpoteuthis), has fins which resemble the ears of a Disney elephant character and thus the name.
Source/CNN/Image For Representation
According to a CNN report, as part of the Five Deeps Expedition over the course of one and a half year, scientists have visited the world's deepest places.
Marine ecologist Alan Jamieson, who led the team that made the discovery told CNN that having completed more than 100 dives, the team had an idea of what types of wildlife, including fish and crustaceans, they would observe on the sea bed.
The octopus for them was a lucky find. The newfound creature ¡ª recorded more than a mile deeper than any octopus has ever been spotted before.
The average size of dumbos is 8in to 12in long, while the largest known dumbo octopus grew to 5'10, weighing at 13lb
Their diet consists of fish and water mammals including sharks, dolphins, and tuna. Dumbos are rarely entangled in fishnets nor disturbed by human activities since they live in the benthic zone.
These discoveries were made last April during dives to the Java Trench ¡ª the deepest part of the Indian Ocean ¡ª as part of the Five Deeps the expedition, in which a team of explorers dove to the deepest part of all of the world's oceans.
A marine ecologist said, "During the dive last April, as usual, we filmed much of the same stuff, but then suddenly in the middle of a dive about close to 6,000 meters this Dumbo octopus just flies by the camera."
Marine ecologist Alan Jamieson said the discovery will challenge people's perceptions of deep-sea creatures. He said, "I like the fact that it challenges people's perceptions about what deep sea animals look like."
Source/ocean.org
"This is just a cute little octopus doing what octopuses do. There's nothing particularly weird about it. So hopefully, people might feel a greater attachment to the really deep waters as opposed to the scary, horrible, weird environment that it's made out to be," he added.
Scientists said that the animal was 14 to 17 inches long, inhabiting at around 6,900 meters deep in the ocean and they "hopped" from place to place on the seabed.
