How big is the Dumbo octopus? Footage of rare deep-sea creature goes viral 

Recently, a rare footage of an unusual deep-sea creature called the Dumbo octopus was captured underwater at 5,500 feet. The shots were taken by the in-built cameras of Hercules, a remotely operated deep-sea submersible conducted by the Ocean Exploration Trust.

The navigators in charge of the submersible were surprised at the rare sight of the Dumbo octopus, often referred to as a ghostly aquatic animal. This is how one of the navigators reacted when the octopus appeared to be passing by the submersible’s cameras.

The navigators' reaction can be heard in the footage as it appeared on the submersible's camera lights:

“Oh wow! Oh, the flappy ears! It’s so graceful, like, the motion.”

The comment was about the octopus’ two ear-like fins emerging from its mantle. For those curious, the name “Dumbo” derives from the Disney elephant Dumbo who uses his ears to fly in the animated movies. While most Dumbo octopus is 8 inches long, the one caught on camera recently was 2 feet long, as per the statement issued by the Ocean Exploration Trust.

According to the media source, the rare footage was part of Ocean Exploration Trust’s latest Ala ‘Aumoana Kai Uli expedition researching the biology and geology of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, an untraversed protected region 180 miles northwest of Holaniku, Hawaii. The recent shot can be seen on EV Nautilus’ YouTube channel, where Ocean Exploration Trust live broadcasts its expeditions.

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Dumbo octopus are usually 8 inches to 6 feet long

According to National Geographic, Dumbo Octopus' scientific name is “Grimpoteuthis spp," a medium-sized aquatic invertebrate. Its length can reach up to 6 feet, but most are 8 inches, considerably less than most octopuses.

The distinctive feature of the Dumbo octopus is its two large fins on either side of the mantle that bulge out like ears. Its other features include short arms, a bell-shaped body, a pale texture, and a habit of hovering around the ocean bed.

It is often nicknamed “the cutest octopus” and is also known to be the deepest living octopus, as it can dive up to 13,000 feet and live there for several days.

In addition, it also belongs to a group called cirrate octopuses, which are octopuses that have slender protrusions trailing from their suckers called cirri.

As per National Geographic, the use of cirri remains unknown, but scientists presume it has something to do with feeding. Dumbo octopus feeds on snails, worms, and other aquatic animals it can pick up from the ocean floor. As for their movement, the animal flaps its fins to propel through the water and then webs using its arms.

It is found worldwide in tropical and temperate deep-sea waters, especially in the Central Pacific region. Interestingly, unlike other octopuses, this kind of octopus doesn’t own an ink sac, as it hardly needs to fight predators in deep waters. Also called Umbrella octopus, there are 12-15 sub-species of it.

According to Oceana's official website, the largest octopus of the species recorded was 5 feet 10 inches long and weighed 13 pounds.