Deepest octopus

The dumbo octopus (Grimpoteuthis) has been observed by HD cameras foraging near the sandy seafloor at a depth of 6,957 metres (22,825 feet) in the Java Trench in the Indian Ocean, as detailed in a study published in Marine Biology on 26 May 2020. This extended the previous most extreme depth for this species by 1,812 metres (5,945 feet) and is the first irrefutable evidence of a cephalopod living in the hadal zone, the deepest region of the ocean starting at 6,000 metres (19,685 feet) below the surface. The body of dumbo octopuses - roughly 20 centimetres (7.8 inches) long - is soft, semi-gelatinous and capable of resisting the immense pressure found at these depths. The animal derives its common name from two specialized flippers on its head that are reminiscent of elephant ears, hence the link to the famous Disney character.

Proving that this wasn't a one-off, during the same study, another dumbo octopus was observed at 5,760 m (18,898 ft), itself extending the previous depth record for this species by 615 m (2,018 ft).

The sightings were made in April 2019 during the Indian Ocean leg of the Five Deeps Expedition, which saw American explorer Victor Vescovo (who funded the expedition) become the first person to visit the deepest point in every ocean; the 7,192-m (23,596-ft) Java Trench is the deepest-known point in the Indian Ocean.

The location where the 6,957-m octopus was sighted was 11.1200′ S/114.9283′ E. The environmental conditions were 1.51°C (34.7°F) with a salinity of 34.7.

The paper was co-authored by Professor Alan Jamieson of Newcastle University, UK (who was the Chief Scientist on the Five Deeps Expedition), and Dr Michael Vecchione of the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC, USA.