Scientists find new blue octopus the size of golf ball in Pacific Ocean

Scientists have identified a new species of octopus dwelling in the deep ocean surrounding the Galápagos Islands, adding to the archipelago's renowned collection of unique wildlife.

The small creature, roughly the size of a golf ball with distinctive blue-coloured skin, has been awarded the scientific name Microeledone galapagensis.

Researchers published their findings in the scientific journal Zootaxa after confirming the animal had never been recorded before.

The Galápagos, situated off Ecuador's Pacific coast, are already celebrated for hosting species found nowhere else on the planet, from giant tortoises to marine iguanas.

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This latest addition was first encountered during a deep-sea research mission more than a decade ago, initially spotted in 2015 during an expedition aboard the research vessel E/V Nautilus.

A remotely operated underwater vehicle was exploring a seamount some 5,800 feet beneath the surface near Darwin Island when the team noticed something remarkable traversing the ocean floor.

Audio recordings from the mission captured the researchers' immediate astonishment: "He's tiny!" and "It's blue!"

The ROV operators, from the Charles Darwin Foundation and the Galápagos National Park Directorate, managed to retrieve the specimen and capture photographs.

Upon returning to the Galápagos, the expedition team transported dozens of deep-sea samples to the Charles Darwin Research Station, where the small blue octopus immediately captured attention among the collected creatures.

Researchers at the station reached out to Janet Voight, an octopus specialist at the Field Museum in Chicago and lead author of the study, sending photographs for identification.

"Right away, I knew it was something really special," said Ms Voight. "I'd never seen anything like it."

Classifying a new octopus typically requires dissection to examine the mouth, beak and teeth, yet the team possessed only a single specimen.

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"We only had the one specimen, so I didn't want to take it apart," Mrs Voight said.

The solution came through advanced micro CT scanning at the Field Museum's imaging laboratory.

Stephanie Smith, laboratory manager and study co-author, said: "Because CT imaging is non-destructive, it's especially important for type specimens like this one.

"There's nothing like spending the day looking at something no other human has ever seen."

The scanning technology produced detailed 3D models, revealing internal organs without the need for invasive examination.

Alexander Ziegler, a University of Bonn researcher and senior author of the paper, said: "What really struck me was that the scan of the little octopus revealed so much information on its internal organ systems.

For Ms Voight, who has dedicated over four decades to studying octopus evolution, this represents her first time leading the formal description of a new species.

"The oceans are so big, and there's so much left to explore," she says.

Salome Buglass, a marine scientist at UCLA and former Charles Darwin Foundation researcher, noted the broader implications of the discovery.

She said: "Discoveries like these remind us how much of the deep ocean in Galápagos remains unexplored.

"Every new species helps us better understand these hidden ecosystems and why protecting them matters."

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