A live seven-armed octopus, the "droplet octopus," has been recorded in the deep sea for the first time in 40 years. Oceanographers from MBARI captured rare footage of this giant, weighing up to 75 kg, which is extremely rarely seen alive. This is reported by the publication IFLScience, according to UNN.
Details
Recently, oceanographers from the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Research Institute (MBARI) managed to capture some incredible footage of these octopuses. In 40 years of research, this is only the fourth time they have been encountered, and globally, only a few observations have been recorded, including several impressive shots taken by diver Eric Askilrud.
It was spotted by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) called Ventana, which was cruising in Monterey Bay last month as part of a research expedition. That day, senior scientist Steven Haddock and researchers from MBARI's Biodiversity and Bio-optics team witnessed a rare sight at a depth of approximately 700 meters - a seven-armed octopus in all its glory.
It is noted that such octopuses, known to science as Haliphron atlanticus, actually have eight tentacles, but they are called seven-armed due to the interesting behavior of males.
During mating, the male detaches a special tentacle, known as the hectocotylus, to use it as a tool for sperm transfer. Most of this tentacle is hidden under one of the eyes, so males appear to have seven tentacles.
Regardless of the number of tentacles, seeing one of these octopuses alive is a rare and extraordinary phenomenon.
"Using a 4K camera specially designed by MBARI engineers for deep-sea research, the team collected detailed observations of the animal's appearance and behavior. This extraordinary octopus was holding a red helmet jellyfish (Periphylla periphylla) in its arms. This new observation highlights the complexity of deep-sea food webs and their amazing connections," MBARI reported.
Recall
Octopuses have a unique ability to distinguish spoiled food and eggs thanks to sensors on their suckers, which allow them to detect harmful chemicals. Research by Harvard and California universities confirmed that these animals react to bacteria that decompose biological material, refusing spoiled food.