A strange octopus that looks like just Dumbo has been spotted two miles beneath the surface by delighted scientists.
The elusive species was filmed almost 2.4 miles deep using a remotely operated underwater vehicle.
Researchers were exploring a canyon when suddenly the pink mollusc flapped its ear-like fins.
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And it bears a striking resemblance to the 1941 Disney character Dumbo.
The remarkable footage was captured during a mission to explore the Mar del Plata submarine canyon.
This vast canyon lies in the South Atlantic Ocean, about 193 miles east of the Argentine city of the same name.
Experts believe it’s the first-ever sighting of a Dumbo octopus in Argentine waters, as reported by What’s The Jam.
The expedition is being led by the US-based Schmidt Ocean Institute, working with Argentina’s National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) and National Institute for Fisheries Research and Development.
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The pink specimen belongs to a genus aptly named the Dumbo octopus (Grimpoteuthis).
Seventeen recognised species make up the genus, each with distinctive fins extending from the mantle above the eyes.
They are the deepest-dwelling octopuses known, thriving in an extreme world of crushing pressure and icy temperatures.
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Unlike most octopuses, which rely on jet propulsion, the Dumbo octopus has a gelatinous body and moves by flapping its fins.
Just days earlier, on 26 July, the same expedition filmed a “cheeky” starfish with a bum-like fold between its arms.
Social media users were quick to note its uncanny likeness to Patrick Star from SpongeBob SquarePants.
Kristen Kusek of the Schmidt Ocean Institute said: “The ‘bum’ is normal, and not a bum at all, but it’s fun to see folks enjoying it.
“It has to do with seawater circulating in its body – a totally normal process.”
It was spotted last Tuesday (5 Aug).
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