A dumbo octopus (genus Grimpoteuthis) hatchlingE.K. SHEA ET AL.
Dumbo octopuses (genus Grimpoteuthis) are deep-sea denizens that lay their eggs in large capsules on the ocean floor, where their offspring develop without parental care. Researchers reported in Current Biology on Monday (February 19) that they captured the first video of a dumbo hatchling and used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to analyze its anatomy.
In 2005, the researchers were exploring the Northwest Atlantic on a research vessel when they used a remotely operated vehicle to collect a sample of soft coral (Chrysogorgia artospira) from an undersea formation. Several egg capsules were attached to the coral, and researchers watched as one hatchling emerged from its capsule on deck. They observed and filmed the hatchling for about two hours. Dumbo octopuses, they found, are quite competent, and ...
