Dumbo Octopus
Grimpoteuthis
Animal Type: Cephalopod
Habitat: Deep ocean
Diet: Carnivore
Special Feature: Ear-like fins
Relatives: Octopuses
About the Dumbo Octopus
Dumbo octopuses are a group of unusual deep-sea octopuses belonging to the genus Grimpoteuthis. They are famous for the pair of rounded fins that extend from the sides of their heads.
These fins look a little like enormous ears, which inspired the nickname "Dumbo" after Disney's big-eared elephant.
Dumbo octopuses live far below the ocean surface, where the water is cold, dark, and under tremendous pressure.
Those Famous "Ears"
Despite their appearance, the structures on a Dumbo octopus's head are not ears at all. They are fins.
The octopus gently flaps these fins to move through the water. Its arms and webbing can also help it steer and control its movement.
This allows the animal to glide slowly through the deep sea while conserving valuable energy.
Dumbo octopuses are among the deepest-living octopuses known. Some have been observed thousands of meters below the ocean surface!
The Abyssopelagic Zone
Dumbo octopuses can live in extremely deep waters, including the Abyssopelagic Zone, commonly called the Abyss.
The Abyssopelagic Zone extends from roughly 4,000 to 6,000 meters (13,123 to 19,685 feet) below the ocean surface.
No sunlight reaches this zone. Temperatures remain just above freezing, and the weight of the water above creates tremendous pressure.
Food is also scarce, so animals living here must conserve energy and take advantage of whatever food they can find.
What Do Dumbo Octopuses Eat?
Dumbo octopuses feed on small animals found near the deep seafloor.
Their prey can include worms, small crustaceans, copepods, amphipods, and other tiny invertebrates.
Instead of tearing apart prey with a powerful bite, Dumbo octopuses can swallow some of their prey whole.
Gliding Through the Abyss
Dumbo octopuses have several ways of moving through the water.
They can flap their ear-like fins, move their arms, expand and contract the webbing between their arms, and use jet propulsion.
Gentle fin movements are especially useful because they allow the octopus to move without wasting too much energy.
A Web Between the Arms
Like other cirrate octopuses, Dumbo octopuses have webbing connecting their arms.
When spread out, this webbing can make the animal resemble a tiny underwater umbrella.
The octopus can use its webbed arms while swimming and while capturing small animals from the seafloor.
Do Dumbo Octopuses Have Ink?
Unlike many shallow-water octopuses, Dumbo octopuses do not have an ink sac.
Ink is useful when an octopus needs to confuse a predator and quickly escape, but life in the completely dark deep ocean is very different.
Releasing a dark cloud of ink would provide little advantage in an environment where there is almost no light to begin with.
Life Under Enormous Pressure
At the depths where Dumbo octopuses live, water pressure can be hundreds of times greater than pressure at sea level.
Their soft bodies contain no large air-filled spaces, helping them survive under these extreme conditions.
Like other deep-sea organisms, their bodies and cells are specially adapted to function under pressures that would be dangerous to most surface animals.
Life in the Cold
The deep ocean is not only dark but extremely cold. Water in much of the Abyss remains only a few degrees above freezing.
Dumbo octopuses have slow, energy-efficient lifestyles suited to this cold environment.
Moving slowly and conserving energy are important adaptations in a habitat where meals may be difficult to find.
How Big Are They?
Many Dumbo octopus species are relatively small, especially compared with giant and colossal squid.
Their soft, rounded bodies and large fins can make them appear almost cartoon-like when seen swimming.
Different species vary in size, and scientists are still learning about many members of this mysterious deep-sea group.
Where Are Dumbo Octopuses Found?
Dumbo octopuses have been discovered in deep waters in many parts of the world's oceans.
Different species occur in the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Southern Oceans.
Because they live so far below the surface, scientists usually observe them with remotely operated vehicles, deep-sea cameras, and research submersibles.
Living Without Sunlight
Dumbo octopuses spend their lives in a world very different from the bright reefs where many familiar octopuses live.
There are no plants, no sunlight, and very little food in the Abyss. Instead, life depends largely on material that sinks down from the ocean above.
Their slow movement, soft bodies, unusual fins, and feeding behavior make Dumbo octopuses beautifully adapted to this quiet, dark environment.