There’s a term you need to familiarize yourself with before continuing this article about a newly discovered animal near the Galapagos Islands: “cute aggression.” As defined by Wikipedia, it’s the “the urge to squeeze, bite, or otherwise act aggressively toward things perceived as being cute without the desire to cause any harm.” The image example on the page is a tiny kitten you want to squeeze until it pops. Not literally, but…maybe? That same confusing mix of affection and violence is probably what you’re going to feel when you see the tiny blue octopus researchers recently discovered that looks like an octopus emoji came to life.
According to a new study published in the journal Zootaxa, scientists exploring the ocean floor near the Galapagos Islands identified a previously unknown species of octopus called Microeledone galapagensis. The tiny cephalopod was first spotted nearly 5,900 feet beneath the surface during a 2015 expedition aboard the E/V Nautilus near Darwin Island.
Like a Blueberry With Stubby Arms and Cartoonishly Large Eyes
The cute little guy can fit in the palm of your hand. It has little stubby octopus arms, each one with a single row of suckers. Its skin is smooth, and it’s as bright as a cartoon blueberry that fades like a dark ombré into a deep purple on its underside.
Researchers quickly developed a theory as to why its underside is purple. They think that it probably feasts on bioluminescent creatures that emit a light that could make the octopus visible to its predators. The dark purple underside absorbs some of that light, letting the octopus hunt for its meal without being noticed by something that will make the octopus its meal.
The researchers were a little puzzled by it, since its closest known relatives live near Antarctica and Uruguay, which, if you haven’t looked at a map lately, are nowhere near the Galapagos.
We don’t know the biological mechanics going on inside the octopus, as researchers have yet to dissect one, but they did use advanced CT scanning technology to create a detailed 3D model of its internal organs to study its innards without having to slice and dice into it to release some of their own cuteness aggression.
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