Boffins were left baffled at the rare find in Aberdeenshire.
Dr Lauren Smith with the tentacle. (Image: Collect)
A walker spotted the tentacles of the world’s largest species of octopus washed up on a beach in Aberdeenshire.
The remains were discovered on Sunday, November 30, Forvie National Nature Reserve at Collieston, near Ellon in Aberdeenshire.
The local alerted reserve staff and after some detective work the animal was identified as a seven-arm octopus.
Also known as a septopus, giant gelatinous octopus, or blob octopus, they have eight arms like other octopus – but in males one of the arms is also a reproductive organ that they attach to females when mating, external, reports the BBC.
The remains washed up at a beach in Aberdeenshire. (Image: Collect)
Marine biologist Dr Lauren Smith, of East Grampian Coastal Partnership, said seven-arm octopus were a “remarkable and rarely documented” species.
The deep-sea creatures live hundreds of metres below the surface of the sea and females, which are larger than males, can grow to 13ft (4m) long.
Forvie NNR covers about 2,471 acres (1,000 ha) of sand dunes and heath between the North Sea and the estuary of the River Ythan and is known for seals and also has the largest tern and black-headed gull colony in mainland Scotland.
Reserve staff described the tentacles as a rare find.
A spokesperson said: “We were first made aware that there was something odd on the beach over the weekend, when a local walker spotted part of the octopus on the beach.
“However, we couldn’t get out until after the next high tide when only sections of the tentacles could be found.
The animal was identified as a seven arm octopus. (Image: Collect)
“These were something we clearly hadn’t seen before, with a large diameter and big suckers – far too big for the common curled octopus we see around the shore here.”
The reserve said it was first speculated that it could be the remains of a giant squid, which can grow up to 14m (46ft) in length.
Hwoever, the suckers on the Forvie arms did not have teeth like a squid’s so the reserve approached Aberdeen University’s zoology department and museums, looking for advice.
Eventually the arm were identified as belonging to a seven-arm octopus, which has the scientific name Haliphron atlanticus.
“These are a deep water species – usually found below 1,640ft (500m) – so it’s a puzzle how it came to be here,” said the spokesperson.
“They said most of the North Sea – except the Norwegian Trench, which is about 2,296ft (700m) deep – was shallower than that.
“Washed up by deep water currents? Trawled up by fishermen? We’ll probably never know,” said the spokesperson.
“But it’s a fascinating find nonetheless and yet again serves to illustrate how little we know about deep-water creatures.”
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Dr Lauren Smith said: “This is an extraordinary find, to have a deep-water species like Haliphron atlanticus appear here is incredibly rare and offers a valuable opportunity for further study.
“The recovered remains have been frozen down for further study, with some potentially being preserved as museum specimens.”
She thanked another marine biologist, Dr Steve O’Shea, for his expert verification of the species.
Dr Smith added: “The discovery highlights both the scientific value of community wildlife reporting and the enduring mysteries of the deep ocean.”