Rare Footage Of A Dumbo Octopus Captured 8,000 Feet Below The Ocean Surface

Hidden deep beneath the depths of the ocean lie creatures of eerie beauty. With menacing teeth, hauntingly wide jaws, and skin that emits an otherworldly glow, we can only be thankful for the veil of darkness that conceals them from our view.

Among these enigmatic denizens is Grimpoteuthis, endearingly known as the Dumbo octopus – a cephalopod genus as charming as the beloved Disney character it’s named after.

Sporting short arms extending from a voluminous skirt, large expressive eyes, and charmingly floppy ‘ears,’ these creatures would undoubtedly steal the spotlight in any aquarium, were it not for their delicate nature that causes them to disintegrate when brought to the surface, akin to gelatin in the scorching sun.

So, when a team of researchers aboard the Ocean Exploration Trust’s E/V Nautilus encountered one of these creatures gracefully drifting in front of their remotely operated vehicle (ROV) during an exploration of an unnamed seamount 2,665 meters (8,743 feet) beneath the ocean’s surface, their reactions were filled with wonder and delight.

Typically measuring around 20 to 30 centimeters in length, Grimpoteuthis may not be a formidable kraken. Nevertheless, it gracefully navigates the abyss, just a few meters above the seafloor, utilizing its prominent fins protruding from its mantle to propel itself with minimal effort.

Given the scarcity of prey in its environment, which may occasionally include mollusks, isopods, or worms that it captures with its umbrella-like webbing and deftly transports to its mouth using the hair-like ‘cirri’ on its arms, the Dumbo octopus must carefully conserve its energy.

In fact, the ancestors of these deep-sea ‘cirrate’ cephalopods have shed many of the adaptations of their relatives in order to survive the harsh darkness of the abyss. Gone are the ink sacs that once provided a means of escape, and the shimmering skin adorned with dazzling chromophores that once served as both communication and camouflage.

Now semi-translucent, these creatures haunt the depths like ethereal specters, with females carrying clutches of eggs in the event of a rare encounter with a male in the vast emptiness.

While life in the depths may sound bleak, it offers some protection from human activities. Apart from the occasional entanglement in deep-sea fishing nets, encounters with these creatures are exceedingly rare.

“Seeing this one after the one we saw…you know,” one of the scientists remarks during the live-streamed recording, with another scientist chiming in, “the one that had a rather unfortunate encounter.”

The E/V Nautilus is currently on its Ala ʻAumoana Kai Uli (NA154) expedition, investigating the biology and geology of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument to the northwest of Hawaii.

While much of the region remains unexplored, the sunken remnants of ships from the Battle of Midway are known to rest on the ocean floor. Should any of these relics be discovered, they will be added to the researchers’ growing list of study subjects.

In a world filled with mysterious oceanic phenomena, encountering a rare Dumbo octopus is undeniably one of the more uplifting possibilities for these intrepid scientists.