NOAA Scientists Find 'Ghostlike' Octopod Off Hawaii, Believe It's A New Species

[Eugene]

Source: NBC News

MAR 5 2016, 12:22 PM ET

NOAA Scientists Find 'Ghostlike' Octopod Off Hawaii, Believe It's A New Species

by ELIZABETH CHUCK

Scientists have spotted a spooky "ghostlike" octopod deep in the waters off Hawaii — but could this curious creature be an entirely new species?

The scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who spotted the "remarkable little octopod," which is a translucent white color, last weekend while collecting geological samples with a remote-operated vehicle on Necker Ridge in the Hawaiian Archipelago believe so.

NOAA Ocean Explorer ✔ ?@oceanexplorer

NEW ghostlike octopod likely undescribed species; seen on #Okeanos dive ~4300m deep: [font size=1]-snip-[/font]
1:04 PM - 3 Mar 2016

"The appearance of this animal was unlike any published records and was the deepest observation ever for this type of cephalopod," the class of mollusks that octopuses, squid, and others belong to, NOAA said on its website.

The apparent new species is an incirrate octopod, meaning it lacks fins and cirri — finger-like parts associated with suckers on its arms — and resembles the common octopus that lives in shallower water.

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Read more: http://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/noaa-scientists-find-ghostlike-octopod-hawaii-believe-it-s-new-n532346

[hibbing]

1. Awesome, thanks for posting n/t

[A Little Weird]

2. Cool! n/t

[Hatchling]

3. Cute!

Looks like Casper the Ghost!