New Species of Octopus Found Off Australian Coast, Scientists Are Rejoicing

The discovery took place in the depths off the western coast of Australia. Scientists have identified a new species of octopus, Opisthoteuthis carnarvonensis, also known as the Carnarvon flapjack octopus. This small, gelatinous creature with a flat body and large eyes was discovered during a 2022 research expedition aboard the RV Investigator.

Scientists delighted with the discovery

The newly discovered octopus belongs to the group of dumbo octopuses – creatures with characteristic fins resembling “ears” that inhabit only the depths of the ocean. It is just 4 cm in diameter, orange-brown in color and has an extremely soft, delicate structure.

"It's a flapjack octopus, one of the most unusual forms of cephalopod. It doesn't change colour, it doesn't produce ink, and its eyes help it spot prey in the darkness of the ocean depths," explains Dr Tristan Verhoeff of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.

While there are about 50 known species of dumbo octopus worldwide, 15 of them occur in Australian waters. The discovery highlights the importance of protecting these unique areas and shows how much remains to be explored.

As Dr Lisa Kirkendale of the Western Australian Museum explains, “new species are key to ecological research and assessing populations for conservation purposes.” She says the Indian Ocean remains one of the least explored regions on the planet, and Australia should do more to support taxonomists documenting biodiversity.

The research was published in the Australian Journal of Taxonomy

The expedition, led by Australia’s CSIRO, was the first comprehensive survey of the seabed in the Gascoyne and Carnarvon Canyon Marine Parks, areas off the coast of Western Australia that have remained largely untouched by science until now.

The collected samples, thanks to the use of cameras, nets and specialist tools, provided data on many previously unknown organisms. It is estimated that the RV Investigator expeditions over the past 10 years may hide in their archives over 1,000 undescribed species.

The full research results were published in the Australian Journal of Taxonomy.

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