ROV Footage Captures Rare Red Balloon-Like Octopus Swimming Deep In The Pacific
Malorie Thompson
When you're out in the ocean, you never quite know what's beneath you. For some people, that's terrifying. But for others, it's fascinating.
The ocean is like a whole new world to explore, with so much yet to discover. Scientists regularly learn new things about what's hidden deep under the surface and remote-operated vehicles (ROVs) are working to gain footage of creatures barely documented in literature.
Photo: YouTube/EVNautilus
Recently, the ROV Hercules captured images of an unusual balloon-like creature while exploring the waters of the Kingman Reed and the Palmyra Atoll in the Central Pacific.
The Nautilus Live Ocean Exploration Trust shared on YouTube that the control team originally thought the creature was a piglet squid.
Photo: YouTube/EVNautilus
However, some members of the audience helped point out it was actually a diaphanous pelagic octopod (aka: an octopus).
The trust wrote, "Found worldwide, especially over seamounts and knolls, the pelagic octopus, Japatella diaphana, is characterized by its small size and relatively short arms compared to the dome-shaped mantle."
Photo: YouTube/EVNautilus
They went on to say that the expedition was part of a larger mission to "increase global baseline knowledge of the deep-water habitats and seafloor formations of this remote region larger than the state of New Mexico."
You can see the unique octopus in the video below:
