Named after an elephant
The two fins on its head look like the ears of Dumbo, the flying elephant.
The deep sea
Dumbo octopus
Grimpoteuthis
A small, soft, pinkish octopus with a pair of ear-like fins on its head and a skirt of skin between its arms.
- Size
- Mostly 20 to 30cm long
- Look for it
- All year round
- Where
- The deep sea floor in every ocean, down to 7,000 metres
Flaps after you with its ear-like fins. Move your pointer and see.
When to look
Dumbo octopus
Good to know
Six things about the dumbo octopus
The deepest octopus
It lives deeper than any other octopus: some have been seen nearly seven kilometres down.
Flying under water
It flaps its fins to swim, and steers with its arms.
Swallowed whole
Other octopuses tear up their food. The dumbo swallows worms and shrimps whole.
No ink
It has no ink sac. In total darkness, a cloud of ink would hide nothing.
An umbrella
The web of skin between its arms opens like an umbrella when it drifts.
The real thing
Photos of the dumbo octopus
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Photos are from Wikimedia Commons, used under the free licences shown. They have been resized, and cropped where they appear in link previews.
How to spot one
Dumbo octopuses are seen only by deep-sea robots. Research ships stream their dives live online, and now and then one flaps into view.
How to help
Deep-sea mining would churn up the sea floor where dumbo octopuses lay their eggs. Support a pause until we know more.
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