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Deep-Sea 'Flapjack' Octopus with Umbrella-Like Body Found at 1,500-Meter Depths
- In 2022, researchers identified a previously unknown type of flapjack octopus called Opisthoteuthis carnarvonensis near the coast of Western Australia.
- During a month-long expedition aboard the CSIRO RV Investigator, researchers gathered specimens while surveying deep-sea habitats exceeding 1,000 meters within marine parks off the coast of Western Australia.
- The small octopus measures about 4 centimeters, has blood-red tentacles, large eyes, and can flatten its body like a pancake for feeding on worms and crustaceans.
- Dr. Tristan Verhoeff described the year-long naming process as "fun" but noted the pressure to ensure accuracy when confirming new species.
- This discovery contributes to understanding deep-sea biodiversity, adds value to marine parks, and highlights Australia's rich cirrate octopus diversity with many species yet to be described.
15 Articles
15 Articles
The West Australian
Midwest TimesCarnarvon flapjack octopus discovered and documented
Meet the Carnarvon flapjack octopus — a new deep sea species discovered in a canyon off the Gascoyne coast named after the location where it was found and its resemblance to a pancake.
New shape shifting octopus found in canyon off WA coast
A new species of flapjack octopus, with massive eyes and blood-red tentacles, has been discovered from a deep-sea canyon off the coast of Australia. The new species has been named Opisthoteuthis carnarvonensis, or the Carnarvon Flapjack Octopus, for the location in which it was found at a depth of 1044 to 1510m. Dr Tristan Verhoeff, volunteer Systematic Taxonomist, at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery says “This new species is a flapjack octo…
ABC Australia
New octopus species found off WA coast
The Carnarvon flapjack octopus was collected by scientists on a 2022 CSIRO research voyage, but it wasn't named until last week. The species is one of a number of newly-described species collected during the voyage.
CSIRO discovers 'blood-red' flapjack octopus in deep waters off WA
The flapjack octopus is one of 10 species identified from a CSIRO voyage to Western Australian waters in 2022. Photo: CSIRO Facebook. Research into samples collected during a 2022 voyage has unveiled a previously unknown species of flapjack octopus, to be dubbed the Carnarvon Flapjack Octopus or Opisthoteuthis carnarvonensis. The new species, with “massive eyes and blood-red tentacles”, was discovered in a deep-sea canyon in Australian waters du…
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