A tiny, bright blue octopus Microeledone galapagensis is small enough to fit inside the palm of your hand, but good luck trying to meet one. According to marine biologists, you’ll likely have to settle with admiring it from afar for now unless you have access to a deep sea submersible—and a ticket to the Galápagos Islands.
M. galapagensis is described for the first time in a study published today in the journal Zootaxa, but scientists actually first encountered the octopus in 2015. While conducting a deep sea expedition aboard the research vessel E/V Nautilus, biologists spotted the diminutive invertebrate as they piloted a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) along the ocean floor near Darwin Island. Its vibrantly blue coloration stood out from the underwater mountainslope at a depth of about 5,800 feet, prompting a closer inspection.
“Is that a cute little guy, or what?” one researcher can be heard saying over the audio feed of an ROV recording.
The team successfully soon scooped up the specimen and eventually recorded footage of two others during their expedition. A closer lab inspection stumped the experts, however, which prompted them to send a photo along to Field Museum octopus expert Janet Voight.
“Right away, I knew it was something really special. I’d never seen anything like it,” the study co-author recalled in a statement.
There was a big problem, however. Determining if a specimen is a never-before-seen species usually requires a full autopsy that inevitably destroys the sample. Since this was the only M. galapagensis ever collected, Voight didn’t want to lose such a valuable example.
The solution eventually came in the form of micro-computer tomography (CT) scanning technology. With the help of Field Museum X-ray CT laboratory manager Stephanie Smith, the team could finall get a highly detailed look at M. galapagensis’ anatomy by compiling thousands of thin X-ray images into a 3D model.
“Because CT imaging is non-destructive, it’s especially important for type specimens like this one. And that’s great for me because people are often bringing me these incredibly rare and stunningly beautiful specimens that I get the privilege of virtually opening up,” explained Smith, also a study co-author.
After years of work, Voight and colleagues could finally confirm the octopus belonged to a novel species that deserved its own name. What’s more, M. galapagensis represents the first octopus species officially described by Voight in her over 40-year career.
“These are little octopuses that live in the deep sea, and hardly anybody on Earth has ever gotten to see them. I just feel lucky that I got to work with them,” she said.
“Getting the specimen to Janet was a long process, but one I would gladly repeat if it means getting to know the most precious parts of our ocean just a little bit better,” added study co-author and University of California Los Angeles marine scientist Salome Buglass.
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