SEE IT: A newly discovered golf ball-sized blue octopus species was discovered off the coast of the Galápagos Islands, bringing excitement to researchers.
GALÁPAGOS ISLANDS, Ecuador – Researchers made an astonishing discovery off the coast of Ecuador last week, as a new creature caught the eyes of experts on the ocean floor.
Off the coast of the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador, a tiny blue octopus roams the sandy landscape, unknown to most.
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This tiny blue creature was first discovered during a deep-sea expedition in 2015, as researchers used a remotely operated underwater robot (ROV) to explore the ocean floor at a depth of around 5,800 feet, according to a peer-reviewed publication on Eureka Alert.
Researchers discover a new species of octopus, Microeledone galapagensis.
(Charles Darwin Foundation)
Through the ROV, researchers were able to collect dozens of this newly discovered species and take them for further evaluation at the Charles Darwin Research Station.
The researchers had difficulty identifying the species of this octopus and sent it to octopus expert Janet Voight at the Field Museum in Chicago for examination.
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Through advanced micro-CT scanning at the museum’s X-ray laboratory, researchers compiled 3D images of the octopus’s interior, revealing the fine details of its organs, mouth and other wild features, all without cutting into the wondrous creature.
This information was crucial when declaring a new species to science.
Newly discovered tiny blue octopus found off coast of the Galapagos Islands.
(Charles Darwin Foundation)
The new species, named Microeledone galapagensis, was discovered and classified by Janet Voight and her team of scientists.
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As water covers 71% of the planet, each discovery from the ocean is a humble reminder of how much remains to be explored and what else could be hiding below the surface, waiting to be discovered for years to come.
