Researchers from Schmidt Ocean Institute stumbled upon an extremely rare find when visiting a seamount 651m deep: a glass octopus (Vitreledonella richardi).
The scientists were on an expedition to Tokelau Ridge in the Phoenix Islands Archipelago (US EEZ) when they came across this rarely seen and little-studied species.
“Most of the information scientists have managed to get on the creature is from specimens eaten by predators and found in their stomachs,” says Schmidt Ocean Institute.
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Glass octopus live in the open ocean and can reach a total length of 45cm. These unusual animals get their name from their translucent bodies, which are almost entirely clear, like glass.
“It gets its name from its ability to be almost completely transparent. In part of this clip, its chromatophores (cells that produce colour for camouflage, seen here as yellow dots) can be seen,” says Schmidt Ocean Institute. "The only aspects of that are not clear are optic nerve, eyeballs and digestive tract.”
Image and video credit: Schmidt Ocean Institute
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