Biologists Discover Four New Octopus Species in the Deep Ocean Off Costa Rica

JANUARY 31, 2024

One species was found brooding eggs near low-temperature hydrothermal vents, a rare sight that could unlock new information on deep-sea cephalopods



A mother "Dorado" octopus, one of the newly announced species, protects her eggs some 3,000 meters under the ocean's surface. ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 DEED
Christian Thorsberg


Roughly two miles deep in the Pacific Ocean, on a dark and rocky outcrop near Costa Rica nicknamed El Dorado Hill, scientists from the Schmidt Ocean Institute observed the miracle of life—pinkish octopus hatchlings emerging from their warm, potato-shaped eggs.

These babies were the centerpiece of a two-part discovery announced earlier this month: Biologists found four new species of octopus, which have not yet been formally described, and examined an underwater ecosystem of hydrothermal vents, offering clues as to where more deep ocean species may be living.

“It was unexpected to find so many species of octopus in a small area, first, and second, at 3,000 meters depth,” Jorge Cortés-Núñez, a researcher at the University of Costa Rica and co-chief scientist with the Schmidt Ocean Institute, tells DW News.



Brooding mother octopuses curl up, facing their suckers outward in a defensive position. ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 DEED

One part of the discovery came last June, when researchers spotted the rare hatchery for the first time. Using a remotely operated vehicle named SuBastian, they identified two hydrothermal springs, two octopus nurseries and one skate nursery in the area. The second expedition, which occurred in December, verified for the team that these octopus nurseries seem to be active year-round.

More:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/biologists-discover-four-new-octopus-species-deep-ocean-costa-rica-180983631/