New Flapjack Octopus Species With ‘Dumbo’ Fins Discovered Off Australia

About 300 species of octopus are known to inhabit the oceans, and that number keeps growing. As Smithsonian reports, Australian scientists recently identified a new eight-armed cephalopod that resembles a certain breakfast item.

The researchers dubbed the sea creature the Carnarvon flapjack octopus (Opisthoteuthis carnarvonensis). Carnarvon derives from Western Australia’s Carnarvon Canyon Marine Park where it was found. Flapjack octopuses, meanwhile, are a group of umbrella octopuses with webbed arms they can spread out into a pancake shape. Other defining characteristics of the new species include its red color and large, round eyes that give it an adorable appearance. You can read the researchers’ description of the creature in the Australian Journal of Taxonomy.

Scientists spotted the octopus while on board the research vessel Investigator in 2022. Australia’s national scientific research agency, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), led the month-long expedition to map unexplored parts of the seafloor and uncover new marine life.

Though the new sea creature only spans about 1.6 inches, it’s adapted to a tough life in the depths of the ocean. Researchers found it about 3425 to 4950 feet underwater. The cephalopod is the 10th species to be identified from the 2022 voyage. Other new species include the blind cusk eel—which is arguably less cute.

The Carnarvon flapjack octopus is considered a type of cirrate or “Dumbo octopus,” a subcategory of umbrella octopus that gets its name from the two protruding fins on its head resembling the cartoon elephant’s ears. They flap their fins to swim and use their tentacles to steer as deep as 13,000 feet. They’re also unique in that they can’t camouflage like their shallow-water counterparts. According to CSIRO, there are about 50 species of “Dumbo” octopuses found worldwide.

Read More About Underwater Animals: