The Surprising Discovery of a Tiny Blue Octopus

In 2015, scientists discovered a golf ball-sized blue octopus off the coast of the Galápagos Islands. Only recently, it was given a scientifically published name: Microeledone galapagensis.

This teeny-tiny octopus is an exotic blue shade, which, according to undefined, is “a color that’s very rare to find in nature.” Additionally, the creature doesn’t have an ink sac, which is a specialized ink-producing organ that most octopuses have.

Scientists found the animal when they were conducting research on a submarine in the area. When the scientists dove down a shocking 6,000 feet, one of them discovered the octopus, spotting its unique size and color. CBBC stated in an article, “undefined” that “When they spotted it on the ocean floor, one scientist exclaimed, “he’s tiny! It’s blue!”, and immediately scooped it up to be researched.” The scientists were astounded by the octopus’s unusual features.

These scientists, who worked at the Charles Darwin Institute, quickly contacted the Field Museum in Chicago about their discovery. Janet Voight, a researcher at the Field Museum, saw that the octopus was exceptional. “I went through the photos and saw this one and it was like, wow, that is totally special,” she said to Time Magazine.

At the Field Museum, the octopus was scanned and photographed thousands of times, in order to create a virtual model of it. Then, they were able to use the model to figure out the family of the creature. “Her team at the Field Museum used special scans to take thousands of pictures of the octopus, which allowed them to create digital 3D images of its insides, which meant they could figure out which family of octopuses it belongs to,” undefined reported on the process.

The surprising discovery of Microeledone galapagensis serves as a reminder that the ocean still holds countless mysteries. Even today, scientists continue to uncover new species, proving that there is still so much to learn about life below the waters.