Grimpoteuthis
Take a closer look at the Dumbo octopus and you’ll see exactly where its name comes from: the protruding fins on top of their heads make them look like our favourite cartoon flying elephant.
HABITAT: Deep water, to 6500 ft (2,000 m), in every ocean
DID YOU KNOW?
– Was named the “Dumbo octopus” after Walt Disney’s Dumbo the flying elephant for its earlike fins
– They’re one of the rarest of the Octopoda species, with little known about them
– There are about 37 species of Dumbo octopi, many of which are often mistaken for squid
– They swim—and quickly—by flapping their large ear-shaped fins or by expanding and contracting its webbed arms
– Reported to be bioluminescent, it can flush its transparent skin at will