Thanks to the Nautilus Exploration Program E/V Nautilus research vessel and remotely controlled underwater vehicles, anyone who loves the marine world can watch live streams of expeditions themselves and the fascinating creatures these fleeting images bring. A clip from a rotation off the central coast of California in the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean has revealed saltwater.
Taken together in one scene, a jellyfish, a flatfish, a shark and a Flapjack octopus can be seen drifting with the flow of aquatic life. But it’s the little octopus that gets all the attention because it’s so cute!
Cutest little cephalopods
Known for its adorable nickname because it’s a cute cephalopod, Flapjack is part of a group known as umbrella octopuses because of their similar appearance. These umbrellas are also known as “Dumbo” because their soft fins look like elephant ears. And the Dumbo in this snapshot from E/V Nautilus shows us just how true that name is.
Zooming in on the adorable little yellow dog, one of the explorers asked, “Did you know the brain wraps around the esophagus?”
This, of course, led to jokes about thinking and eating, but it was also revealed that these octopuses can’t eat anything too big or else “they’ll explode their brains”.
And when the adventurer shared that terrifying thing, little Dumbo seemed to be reacting to her words, closing his eyes and then wrapping stout tentacles over his head to evade such a terrible fate !
However, in reality, the octopus is reacting to the bright light on the remote control car. This little squish is used to darker conditions on the ocean floor! But once it realizes something huge is looking at it, Dumbo will put his arms around his head to hide in plain sight. Incredibly lovely!
How did this Cutie get its name?
And let’s go back to the nickname of adorabilis. How did such a perfect nickname for a very, well, lovable creature come about?
The Monterey Herald explains the idea of the name came as a joke when Stephanie Bush, a postdoctoral fellow at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, was tasked with identifying the cute eight-legged pie.
Stephanie joked: “I think because this animal is so cute I should name it adorabilis. “I’m supposed to be a really serious stoic scientist, but I’m still human. It’s so cute.”
And because it’s so cute, we couldn’t help but learn more about Dumbo, so enjoy these Interesting facts about the Flapjack octopus:
- Flapjack’s scientific name is Opisthoteuthis california.
- They have a lifespan of 1½ – 2½ years.
- Flapjack lives in the deep ocean and loves to soak in soft mud.
- They are carnivores that love to eat worms and small invertebrates.
- Flapjack and other umbrella octopuses cannot “squid” like other species.
- The web between their tentacles makes umbrella octopuses look like their name suggests as they drift to the ocean floor.
- Their red pigments help them avoid detection by predators because the red appears “dark” in the deep sea.
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Featured pictures: EVNautilus/YouTube
