RARE DUMBO OCTOPUS SPOTTED

The oceans contain 99% of the living space on earth and humans know relatively little about it.

But we are constantly searching to learn more about what lies in the depths of the sea

SEARCHING FOR LIFE

• On October 23, 2018 an unmanned robotic machine patrolled the ocean floor, 2 miles deep, off the coast of Monterey Bay, CA
• The scientists conducting the mission had a happy accident while searching for forms of life at the bottom of the sea

THE DUMBO OCTOPUS

• This rare Octopus dwells in the deepest parts of the Atlantic & Pacific Ocean
• The scientific name is Grimpoteuthis. It has two ear-like fins on the sides of its body that it uses to navigate across the water. These fins resemble Disney’s animated elephant, Dumbo, and that is where it got it’s nickname.

UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS

• It is a white octopus with translucent “wings” that looks more like a ghost from outer space than the eight-legged mollusks we are accustomed to seeing.
• It is different from common octopus because it has no ink and some species have sharp teeth like edges on their 8 legs they use to run from predators. The Dumbo also has chameleon-like features and it can blend in with structures around it.

BONUS DISCOVERY OF LIFE

• While searching, the scientists came across a massive nesting ground where over a thousand deep-sea octopuses were huddled in the rocks with their eggs.
• This is only the second deep-sea octopus nursery ever seen by humans

VIDEO

SCIENTISTS KEEP SEARCHING

• Unique scientific discoveries motivate scientists like those that came across the Dumbo Octopus & the octopus nesting ground to keep searching for more forms of life
• Humans can benefit from these types of encounters as we learn more about life on Earth and how it can be applied to us

EARTHLY BENEFITS

• The bottom of the sea is very interesting because we know so little about it
• We are also making advanced machines that can go to new places on Earth and beyond

EMOTIONAL REFLECTION

• This makes me feel excited because we are finding many cool new animals and maybe we could find a cuddly fish like a dog
• We could benefit from this by maybe finding an animal with traits that could make humans healthier

A cause is us finding a new animal with secrets and the effect is us maybe finding critical needs for helping people in hospitals

PERSONAL REFLECTION

• Through exploration we could find, for example, an animal with unlimited life that we could study & learn from so humans could maybe have unlimited life too

If I could interview anyone, I would interview whoever found it.

I would like to interview the team that found the Dumbo Octopus and ask them what they were like when they found it and also ask them what they are planning to do in the future and what did they learn from the trip

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• If a new deep sea pet is found, would you want to own one?
• Do you think this find is productive or important?
• What do you think is at the bottom of the sea?