Scientists Discover 'Ghostlike' Octopod Playing On Sea Floor

Researchers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have discovered a 'ghostlike octopod' that had, until now, remained unknown to scientists. The octopod was discovered during the year's first operational dive for Okeanos Explorer, particularly the Deep Discoverer remotely operated vehicle, which had set out to gather some geological samples from a ridge near Necker Island.

According to NOAA researchers, the remotely operated vehicle was traveling across a flat area when it stumbled upon the octopod you see below. Researchers had no idea what kind of octopod it was, saying they'd never seen anything like it before. It is a member of the incirrate octopods, one of two groups, and is the deepest of its kind to ever be discovered.

For reasons currently unknown, this octopod doesn't have the pigmentation found on most other cephalopods, giving it what the researchers called a 'ghostlike' visage. As well, the octopod was observed to be "not ... very muscular" — some have described it as 'cute,' and the public has overwhelmingly named it Casper after the friendly ghost.

The octopod was found at a depth of more than 4,000 meters; at this point, researchers are fairly positive it doesn't belong to any known species, and say it may not even belong in any existing genus. Now that it has been discovered, though, scientists may begin a mission to find others and potentially learn more about the creature.

SOURCE: NOAA