Researchers discovered the adorable creature in 2016 when they accidentally dragged it to the surface in a net while aboard the German research vessel Sonne during an expedition of the Aleutian Islands in the Bering Sea. In May, researchers reported the discovery of a brand new species of Dumbo octopus ( Grimpteuthis imperator), nicknamed 'Emperor Dumbo' by the researchers.

The newly discovered Emperor Dumbo octopus ( Grimpteuthis imperator). Read more: Shape-shifting fish that confounded scientists for 100 years spotted off California coast 'Emperor Dumbo' 'Whalefish have rarely been seen alive in the deep, so many mysteries remain regarding these remarkable fish,' the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute tweeted. The shape-shifting transformation from juvenile to mature females is believed to be one of the most extreme among any vertebrates. The three forms look so different that scientists originally thought they were three different species. Very little is known about this bizarre fish because of the three drastically different appearances of the juveniles (tapetails), males (bignoses) and females (whalefish). The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) released footage in August showing a bright orange, female whalefish (of the order Cetomimiformes) around 6,600 feet (2,013 m) deep offshore of Monterey Bay, California. Read more: Elusive glass octopus spotted in the remote Pacific Ocean (Video) Shape-shifting whalefishĪn elusive whalefish was spotted 6,600 feet (2,013 meters) deep offshore of Monterey Bay, California. Like other 'glass' creatures, such as glass frogs and certain comb jellies, glass octopuses are almost completely transparent, with only their cylindrical eyes, optic nerve and digestive tract appearing opaque. Onboard scientists spotted the creature using the ROV SuBastian, which spent a total of 182 hours scanning the seafloor during the expedition. The translucent cephalopod was originally discovered during a 34-day expedition of the Central Pacific Ocean onboard the SOI's research vessel Falkor. (Image credit: Schmidt Ocean Institute)Īlso in August, researchers from the Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI) released footage of an elusive glass octopus ( Vitreledonella richardi) off the coast of the remote Phoenix Islands, an archipelago located more than 3,200 miles (5,100 km) northeast of Sydney, Australia. A glass octopus ( Vitreledonella richardi) was spotted by researchers from the Schmidt Ocean Institute in the deep sea of the Central Pacific Ocean.

Lego deep sea creatures