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Smithsonian Magazine ·Small delights

'Cute Little Guy': Scientists Discover a Tiny Blue Species of Octopus by the Galápagos Islands

Published 2026-06-09 18:33:26+00:00

How does a tiny blue octopus wait a decade in a jar before finally receiving a name?

0:00 / 5:12 · Narrator Gacrux

Context

This Smithsonian Magazine piece, published on 9 June 2026, follows the decade-long journey from a chance encounter at sea to a formal scientific entry. Confirming this palm-sized creature as a new species required years of patience and non-invasive 3D scanning to protect its fragile specimen. The story moves beyond the initial charm of the find to consider the immense difficulty of studying life in the deep. It serves as a quiet reminder that the ocean floor holds secrets that take more than just a camera to truly see.

Show notes

The formal identification of Microeledone galapagensis, a palm-sized octopus species discovered nearly a decade ago at a depth of 5,800 feet near the Galápagos Islands. Researchers used micro-CT scanning to examine the fragile specimen without dissection, revealing unique anatomical traits such as reverse countershading and a single tooth. These findings illustrate the application of non-invasive imaging in documenting biodiversity within under-explored deep-sea ecosystems.

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