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Octopus Is So Cute Scientists May Name It ‘Adorabilis’

The species, currently known as the flapjack octopus, lives in the deep sea at depths of up to 1,476ft

‘Cute’ isn’t usually the word that springs to mine when describing an octopus – all wandering tentacles and unmoving eyes.

But this unnamed cephalopod – discovered by marine biologists in California – has been deemed so adorable that scientists may actually give it a scientific name to reflect that.

Stephanie Bush, a postdoctoral researcher at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, who has the honour of naming the species and is now observing the animals in captivity, said that she is considering calling the species Opisthotheusis Adorabilis.

With its big, puppy dog eyes and bright colouring, you can see really see why.

“You’re looking at specific features of this species that differentiate it from other species,” she told Science Friday. “They’re really gelatinous and fragile, and they have relatively large eyes for the size of their body – because they’re pretty small.”

“They have a well developed web between their arms – they spread that web and then parachute along.

“As someone who’s describing the species, you get to pick what the specific name. One of the thoughts I had was making it Opisthotheusis Adorabilis – because, yeah, they’re really cute!”



The species, currently known as the flapjack octopus, lives in the deep sea at depths of up to 1,476ft and is about 18cm in diameter.

Scientists have recreated the environment where the octopus usually dwells and one of the captured animals has already left eggs, which are now being incubated but may take three years to hatch.

But as cute as it may be, we think they’re missing a trick by not naming it after its doppelganger – Futurama’s Dr Zoidberg.

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