New Octopus Species Discovered Galapagos

A new species of tiny blue octopus, named Microeledone galapagensis, has been officially announced after being first spotted in 2015 near the Ecuador — Galápagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador. Scientists aboard the EV Nautilus discovered the golf-ball-sized creature 5,800 feet below the ocean's surface. The specimen was sent to the Charles Darwin Research Station and then to the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, where Janet Voight, the lead author of the study, examined it. Due to the rarity of the single specimen, Janet Voight and Stephanie Smith used micro CT scans to create a 3D model for study instead of dissection. The findings, which confirmed it as a new species, were published in the journal Zootaxa. This discovery highlights the unexplored deep ocean ecosystems around the Ecuador — Galápagos Islands and the ongoing need for conservation efforts, as noted by co-author Salome Buglass.