A rare, golf ball-sized blue octopus discovered in 2015 off the Galápagos Islands has returned to the archipelago after being classified in the United States. Formally named Microeledone galapagensis, the preserved specimen is now housed at the Charles Darwin Research Station as a designated type specimen for future marine research.
The journey of one of the ocean’s most elusive deep-sea creatures has brought it back to the waters where it was first encountered. After an expedition first spotted during a deep-sea dive near Darwin Island, the tiny blue octopus known to science as Microeledone galapagensis has returned to the Galápagos Islands.
Though its once-vibrant blue coloration has faded to a pale, opaque head and body, the return of the golf ball-sized cephalopod marks a milestone for the archipelago’s scientific community. The specimen now rests in a gallery bearing a red tag that identifies it as the holotype—the foundational animal used to describe and establish the brand-new species.
From Deep-Sea ROV Discovery to Chicago Laboratories
The story of this specimen began over a mile beneath the ocean’s surface. In 2015, a crew aboard the exploration vessel E/V Nautilus utilized a remotely operated underwater robot to examine the ocean floor near an underwater mountain, according to the Field Museum’s detailed expedition records. Gliding 5,800 feet (1,773 meters) down at the northern edge of the Galápagos archipelago, the robot’s cameras caught sight of the unusual cephalopod.
Right away, I knew it was something really special. I’d never seen anything like it. Janet Voight, curator emerita of invertebrates at the Field Museum in Chicago
After collection, the creature was brought to the Charles Darwin Research Station alongside dozens of other deep-sea specimens. Staff members quickly realized it did not match known local species and sent photographs to Janet Voight, an octopus expert in the United States. Following its preliminary examination locally, the physical specimen traveled in 2022 to the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, where researchers faced a delicate dilemma.
Non-Destructive CT Scans Reveal Internal Anatomy
Describing a brand-new species of octopus typically requires examining internal anatomical features such as the mouth, beak, and teeth. Because researchers possessed only a single intact specimen, cutting it open was out of the question.
To solve this, Voight collaborated with Stephanie Smith, manager of the museum’s X-ray computed tomography laboratory. By utilizing micro CT scans, the team generated detailed three-dimensional digital models of the octopus without causing physical damage. Alexander Ziegler, a researcher at the University of Bonn in Germany and senior author of the resulting study published in the journal Zootaxa, noted that the scan revealed intricate details of internal organ systems without requiring heavy-metal contrast agents.
Conservation Stakes in the Galápagos Deep Waters
Only three individual specimens of this blue octopus have ever been observed by researchers; the other two were documented solely through underwater video footage captured during the 2015 mission. Because deep-sea environments remain vastly under-explored, researchers emphasize that marine conservation efforts rely heavily on cataloging these hidden ecosystems.
Salome Buglass, a marine scientist and co-author of the study, noted that the tiny octopus fascinated the team immediately while they sorted through expedition collections. Now safeguarded alongside approximately 140 mil other preserved marine, terrestrial, and plant specimens at the Galápagos research station, the holotype anchors ongoing efforts to understand the region’s biodiversity.
Researchers at the station highlighted that the creature’s homecoming opens doors for advanced investigations into the UNESCO World Heritage natural reserve. Yet, as scientists examine the newly designated holotype, they are met with a stark reminder of how much of the ocean remains entirely unmapped.
There’s much more to discover. A million questions. We need to study it more. Further explorations in the deep sea of the Galápagos are also necessary to find them and understand them a little better. Miguel Pinto and Paulina Sepa, Charles Darwin Foundation
