Rare Video Of Newborn Dumbo Octopus Shows Its Odd Beauty [VIDEO]

Dumbo octopuses are seldom seen creatures, fluttering about their business with their elephant-esque ears. Seeing a baby dumbo octopus is even rarer, since they hatch on the bottom of the ocean floor. However, a recently released video showcases a newborn member of the species hatching from its egg and acclimating to its surroundings.

CUTE VIDEO OF A DUMBO OCTOPUS HATCHLING

The footage of the miniature dumbo octopus hatching is from 2005 and its corresponding research paper was published this week in the “Current Biology” journal. A team of researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution uncovered an egg harboring the underwater creature during an exploration of the Northwest Atlantic. The egg was collected via a “remotely operated vehicle.”

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While the specimen was “fully developed,” the team believe its birth was “probably premature due to the stress of being collected.” Regardless, the octopus’s “behavior and advanced state of organ development” shortly after its birth were remarkable, showing how adept the specimen was at swimming, “visually and chemically sensing their environment” and even potentially capturing prey.

A 30-second video showing part of the dumbo octopus’s birth and swimming can be see below: