An odd-looking “Dumbo” octopus was found rolling in the deep.
The cephalopod, which sports fins above its eyes that look like ears, was spotted on the seabed of the Java Trench, 21,000 feet below the surface — more than a mile deeper than previous recordings.
Dr Alan Jamieson, who pioneered the “lander” that took the photos, told the BBC the significant finding shows octopi can find potentially suitable habitats on almost any seabed, but it will “have to do something clever inside their cells. … It will need some smart biochemistry to make sure it retains that sphere. All the adaptations you need to live at pressure are at the cellular level.”