Last month, during its first operational dive of 2016, the NOAA’s Okeanos Explorer discovered a new octopus species that has been described as everything from an adorable cartoon character to a ghostly, Pokémon-like cephalopod, agency officials announced earlier this week.
Fhe Okeanos Explorer craft was exploring the waters off northeastern of Necker Island (Mokumanamana) in the Hawaiian Archipelago on February 27 as part of a deep dive to help determine whether or not there was a connection between the island and Necker Ridge, a narrow feature which extends more than 400 miles and protrudes beyond the current US exclusive economic zone.
In addition, its remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Deep Discoverer had been surveying biological communities at depths of nearly 4,300 meters, when it located the mysterious octopod resting on a flat rock lightly covered in sediment, the NOAA said. Its appearance was unlike any previously known cephalopod, and its discovery was the deepest that such a creature had ever been seen.
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The ghost-like octopod was found 14,074 feet (4,290 meters) below sea level, and was identified as a member of the incirrate suborder, which lack fins on the sides of their bodies and also do not have fingerlike cirri associated with the suckers on their arms, the agency noted. These octopods are similar in appearance to the common, shallow-water octopus.
‘Almost certainly’ a new octopod species, researchers claim
The newfound octopod’s unusual appearance is due to its lack of pigment cells, also known as chromatophores, and its lack of muscularity, the researchers said. While members of the cirrate suborder have been spotted at depths of more than 5,000 meters, this marks the first time that an incirrate cephalopod had observed at depths of more than 4,000 meters, they added.
The creature, which possesses just one series of suckers on each arm instead of two, has gotten a lot of attention in the few days since its discovery, largely due to its appearance. The NOAA said that some social media users have even joked about naming it after Casper, the friendly ghost of comic and cartoon fame, and some reporters have asked if they could keep it as a pet.
“It is almost certainly an undescribed species and may not belong to any described genus,” wrote Michael Vecchione of the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service. He added that the agency is considering combining their findings with other unusually deep incirrate observations by a cruise ship in the eastern Pacific in a paper that would be submitted to scientific journals.
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Image credit: NOAA
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