The ocean is full of creatures that seem straight out of science fiction, and scientists have just added another one to the list: a tiny bright blue octopus discovered deep beneath the waters near the Galápagos Islands.
About the size of a golf ball, this tiny creature was found nearly 1,773 metres below the Pacific Ocean’s surface and has now been confirmed as an entirely new species. Named Microeledone galapagensis, the octopus was first spotted during a 2015 deep-sea expedition near Darwin Island in the Galápagos archipelago.
Researchers aboard the exploration vessel E/V Nautilus had sent a robotic submersible named Hercules to explore an underwater mountain when cameras picked up the unusual little animal resting on the seafloor. Even scientists watching the footage in real time were instantly taken in by the sight.
But what first looked like an adorable deep-sea encounter soon turned into a scientific mystery.
After collecting specimens and bringing them back to the Charles Darwin Foundation’s research station, scientists realised they could not identify the creature as any known octopus species. To understand what made it different, the team used micro-CT scanning, an advanced imaging technique that creates detailed 3D images of internal structures using X-rays.
That closer look revealed several unusual features. , this one had:
These details helped researchers confirm they were looking at a species never documented before.
Scientists also discovered that one specimen had 13 eggs in its ovaries, giving early clues about how the species reproduces.
The findings were recently published in the journal Zootaxa. The discovery is also a reminder of how little humans still know about the deep sea. While the Galápagos Islands are famous for extraordinary wildlife like giant tortoises, marine iguanas and Darwin’s finches, the dark waters far below remain largely unexplored.
And if a tiny electric-blue octopus can stay hidden there for this long, scientists suspect many more strange, and perhaps equally adorable, creatures may still be waiting to be found.
