See 'Dumbo' octopus delicately dance in front of deep-sea cameras during underwater exploration off Hawaii
According to Oceana, the Dumbo octopus got its name from the famed Disney character due to their fins that resemble the elephant's ears.
Watch: Rare 'Dumbo' octopus observed during deep sea exploration
Video shared by Ocean Exploration Trust shows a ghostly
HONOLULU – An unmanned deep-sea submersible exploring the depths of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hawaii made a spooky discovery when cameras spotted a Dumbo octopus looking ghostly white amid the blackness of the ocean.
The video shows the octopus coming into view above the Ocean Exploration Trust's Hercules while it slowly explored the waters more than a mile beneath the ocean's surface.
Researchers on the livestream broadcast from aboard the Exploration Vessel (E/V) Nautilus were in awe as the delicate, rare creature hovered delicately in front of the camera.
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The scientists say they're exploring the national monument off Hawaii to gather data which it says is "urgently needed to address local management and science needs, including a better understanding of the deep-sea natural and cultural resources, biogeographic patterns of species distributions and seamount geologic history."
E/V Nautilus, a 223-foot research vessel equipped with remotely operated vessels, is exploring unknown regions of the ocean to make new discoveries in biology, geology and archeology and offer a live video from the seafloor allowing people to join and ask questions about what they're witnessing.
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A rare "Dumbo" octopus is seen in this image shared by the Ocean Exploration Trust.
(Ocean Exploration Trust / NOAA/AMAZING ANIMALS+ /TMX / NOAA)
What is a Dumbo octopus?
According to Oceana, the Dumbo octopus got its name from the famed Disney character due to their fins that resemble the elephant's ears.
They usually live at least 13,100 feet below the ocean's surface and may live even deeper, making them the deepest of all known octopuses, according to Oceana. There are at least 15 known species of Dumbo octopuses, and like all umbrella octopuses, their arms are connected by skin that causes them to resemble umbrellas when their arms are spread.
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They move around the water slowly by flapping their ear-like fins and use their arms to steer. And according to Oceana, the Dumbo octopus doesn't have an ink sac because it rarely encounters predators while swimming in the depths of the ocean.