Rare footage shows an unusual octopus emerging from the depths of the sea more than 1,600 kilometers deep. The ghost octopus was captured by cameras on the Hercules remote-controlled deep-sea submarine operated by the Ocean Exploration Trust.

“Wow!” – said the navigators of the underwater vehicle when the octopus appeared in the bright light of the camera. “Oh, those flapping ears,” said one traveler, referring to the two-eared fin on the octopus’s mantle.

This species of octopus is named “Dumbo” after the Disney elephant that uses its ears to fly. In the video below you can see the octopus emerge after about 8 seconds:

Dumbo octopuses are a rare sight, although they are well known to those who explore the deep waters of the Central Pacific Ocean. These are believed to be the deepest dives of any known octopus, living up to 4,000 km below the surface, according to National Geographic.

Their distinctive ear-shaped fins help them move carefreely at great depths by flapping their wings. This distinguishes them from those living closer to the surface, which fly by spraying water from siphons on the side of the mantle.

“That’s a very elegant move,” says one of the diver operators in the video.

“The octopus in the video is quite large, about 0.6 meters long,” said the Ocean Exploration Trust’s press spokesperson.

Although most Dumbo octopuses are less than a meter long, they can reach 1.8 meters in length. The rare octopus was spotted during the Ocean Exploration Trust’s recent expedition exploring Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, a largely unexplored protected area 180 miles from Hōlanikū, Hawaii. Source