Small and gelatinous, this species of deep-sea octopus can grow to around 4cm in diameter. While little is known about its ecology or lifestyle, this deep-sea shapeshifter has the ability to flatten its body to resemble a pancake – or flapjack – or pull itself up to look like a tiny gelatinous umbrella. With large eyes relative to their body size, these octopus can detect prey in the dimly lit depths of where they live and dine on worms and small crustaceans.
Earlier this year, Dr Verhoeff described another new octopus species from specimens collected on the same 2022 voyage, and has also described several other new species from earlier voyages by the RV Investigator and previous CSIRO research vessels.
Scientists are now creating a growing list of new species from this 2022 voyage including the recently described Painted Hornshark and parallel-spine Scorpionfish. These discoveries help marine managers, such as Parks Australia, better conserve and protect the diversity of marine life that inhabits Australia’s oceans.
Dr Venetia Joscelyne, team leader at CSIRO Marine National Facility, said: “The 2022 voyage off Western Australia has been vital for increasing our understanding of the seafloor habitats and biodiversity in the region. This was the first time the Carnarvon Canyon and Gascoyne Marine Parks have been mapped in detail and explored to depths of more than 5,000 metres.
“Conducting research in remote, offshore, or deep ocean environments is generally challenging but RV Investigator provides researchers with an impressive range of capabilities to do this. From this single research voyage alone, we are seeing many new marine species being described.
“Incredibly, scientists estimate that there are likely more than 1,000 new species waiting to be described from specimens collected on RV Investigator voyages over the past ten years. These discoveries are vital in helping us understand the conservation needs of the marine parks and will assist Parks Australia in maintaining the marine parks’ natural values in the future.”