Tiny Octopus Species Discovered

Many expect octopuses to have ink sacs – but, surprisingly, this one doesn’t! Scientists discovered a new species of a blue, golf-ball sized octopus on the Galapagos Islands in 2015.

This species of octopus is a surprising find. It is blue, which is the rarest color in nature. This species is also smaller than usual and is far from the freezing waters of Antarctica, where octopuses are usually found.

A group of researchers on the Nautilus submarine first discovered this animal in 2015. It was crawling beside an underwater mountain near Darwin Island in the Galapagos. When the submarine was 6,000 feet deep in the water, one scientist saw the octopus and exclaimed, “he’s tiny! It’s blue!”, and instantly scooped it up to be researched. 

The expedition team of E/V Nautilus already spotted, filmed, and collected this creature in 2015. However, the team was baffled by the fact that they could not figure out what species this animal was. Its squat body, lack of an ink sac, and its short arms suggested it was a species of Thaumeledone. However, its big central tooth and its smooth, pigment-free skin showed it could have been another species, Microeledone. The only known species similar that is a combination of Thaumeledone and Microeledone is the Microeledone mangoldi. The Microeledone mangoldi is a pale pink hue, unlike the new species with a light blue back and dark purple inner mantle.

Many researchers, scientists, and octopus specialists like Janet Voight and her team at the field museum found this octopus to be interesting and special. In Voight’s email to National Geographic, she said “One look at this octopus and it was clear it was special.” She also told the Time Magazine: “I went through the photos and saw this one and it was like, wow, that is totally special.” With this octopus being a new species, her team named it the Microeledone galapagensis.

Researchers believe there are many more fascinating deep-sea animals that humans never laid eyes on. In just one year—between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026—experts have discovered more than 1,000 new species in the ocean’s depths. This new octopus species could only be the tip of an iceberg – there can be more species waiting to be found.