Strange octopus has been discovered and it looks like a popular Disney character

It is one of the most unusual experiences in life when you find someone or something that looks like a fictional character, in real life. Our brain immediately associates appearances with something familiar that we have seen before. So it was even more surreal when this octopus that looked like a cartoon character called ‘Dumbo’ was spotted.

‘Dumbo ‘ octopuses

The Dumbo octopus inhabits the bottom of the sea at a staggering 13,100 ft (4,000 m), as per Oceana.org. They were famously dubbed ‘dumbo’ after Disney’s popular cartoon elephant character who had big eyes and even bigger ears. However, Dumbos are no ordinary octopuses, not only do they inhabit some of the deepest parts of the sea but also they have different physical characteristics from a usual octopus.

One of the very distinct physical traits is their ‘ears’. They have ear-like organs on their head that makes them stand out from the rest and adds to their overall animated appearance. These ‘ears’ are actually fins, which several other octopus species don’t possess, according to Newsweek.

A unique species

Scientifically called Grimpoteuthis, they don’t have an ink sac unlike many other octopuses as they don’t have a use for it. These creatures hardly ever encounter predators in the deep sea so they have no requirement for it.

They move with the help of their fins and steer with their tentacles as they swim across the waters. As shared by Oceana.org:

They are foraging predators and eat pelagic invertebrates that swim above the sea floor. As there are few large predators in the deep sea, dumbo octopuses’ primary predators are diving fishes and marine mammals, including tunas, sharks, and dolphins.

Sources used:

-Oceana.org: Dumbo Octopus

-Newsweek: Mystery Octopuses That Look like Dumbo Found Living Deep Beneath the Sea

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