In the azure waters of the Caroline Seamounts at a depth of 1,240 meters, a red-orange dumbo octopus flutters through the water with its fins as wings. This marks the debut of the newly discovered "Grimpoteuthis feitiana", a beautiful fusion of science and myth.
Its translucent body and soft, fluid arms resemble the graceful movements of feitian goddess from Chinese mythology, dancing with fluttering ribbons.
From now on, the world will remember not only its bell-shaped body, smooth skin, and rounded fins, but also the way it glides through the water, leaving behind trails of stardust-like shimmering light.
Photo by ROV "Faxian" | Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS)
Tang, Y., Zheng, X. & Zhang, J. Flying in the deep: the description of a new species of Grimpoteuthis (Octopoda: Cirrata: Grimpoteuthidae) from the Caroline Seamount, with ecological adaptation of dumbo octopuses. Org Divers Evol 25, 269–285 (2025).