Scientists have discovered a tiny new species of octopus, about the size of a golf ball, at a depth of 1,800 meters off the Galápagos Islands. The bright blue little creature was first spotted back in 2015, when it appeared in front of the camera of a remote-controlled underwater robot. But it is only now that the species has been officially classified.
The original problem was that researchers had only a single specimen of the octopus to work with, and therefore did not want to dissect the animal. Instead, researchers used advanced CT scanning to create detailed 3D models of its internal organs, without harming it.
Microeledone galapagensis, the name of the new octopus, is yet another reminder of how little we actually know about the deep sea, and researchers believe there are likely many more species yet to be discovered beneath the surface.
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