Tiny blue octopus discovered in Galapagos depths named by scientists

Scientists have officially named a tiny, electric blue octopus discovered in the abyssal depths of the Galapagos Islands. The species, *Microeledone galapagensis*, was first captured on video by a deep-sea robot in 2015, lurking at a depth of 1,773 meters near Darwin Island.

It took eleven years, a high-resolution medical scanner, and a virtual dissection to formally identify and name the miniature cephalopod. The robot submersible Hercules, deployed from the exploration vessel E/V Nautilus, recorded the initial footage of the creature slowly moving across the seabed. During the expedition, two similar specimens were observed, and one female was collected.

Researchers faced the challenge of studying the rare deep-sea animal without damaging the sole preserved specimen. They employed computed tomography (CT) scanning, a technique that uses thousands of X-ray slices to build a detailed 3D model of the animal's internal and external structures. This virtual dissection allowed scientists to reveal its anatomy without physical intervention.

The scans revealed distinctive features: short, stout arms with a single row of suckers, unlike the double rows found on most octopuses, and smooth dorsal skin. The octopus's vibrant blue color shifts to a deep violet on its underside. The female specimen's ovaries contained thirteen eggs, confirming it was an adult. Researchers believe *Microeledone galapagensis* may be related to species found in the cold waters of Antarctica and the Pacific, representing an unexpected evolutionary branch.

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I knew right away that this was something truly exceptional.