Tiny Blue Octopus Discovered On The Coast Of The Galapagos Islands

11 years ago, a group of marine biologists exploring the ocean floor off the coast of the Galapagos Islands made a surprising discovery. One surprised scientist undefined, “He’s tiny! It’s blue!” She had noticed a blue octopus that was about the size of a golf ball. Excited, they asked Janet Voight, an octopus expert, to identify it. Voight immediately knew that this octopus was special.

Though it was discovered in 2015, the tiny blue octopus wasn’t fully identified until 2026. Janet Voight and her team of scientists from the Field Museum in Chicago were examining models and X-rays of this unique octopus. This octopus’s scientific name is Microeledone galapagenis. Scientists from the Field Museum discovered that the octopus was part of the Megaleledoridae family. However, octopuses similar to the Microeledone galapegenis live on the other side South America.

When the marine biologists discovered the Microeledone galapagenis, they wanted to dissect it to learn more. However, they didn’t. According to undefined, Voight said, “We only had the one specimen, so I didn’t want to take it apart.” So, instead of dissecting the octopus, the scientists decided to take a lot of X-rays and build a model.

The Microeledone galapagenis is a deep shade of purple, a rare color in nature. Scientists believe that this trait helps them survive. When this octopus catches prey, the prey might emit light, attracting predators that eat the octopus. However, if the octopus covers the light, none of the light would show.

Surprisingly, discovering new species is common, especially in places that are not explored a lot. Four new species of octopuses have been discovered this year, still waiting to be learned about.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/blue-octopus-discovered-galapagos-islands/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/cx211xy0w0eo