Creature 15: Grimpoteuthis

Dumbo the elephant in Octopus form

Description:

Another creature which just looks weird today, Grimpoteuthis or the Dumbo Octapus. Grimpoteuthis is a genus of 14 described species of deep ocean Octopi (I refuse to use Octopuses no matter how grammatically acceptable it has become).  

Not much is known about these unusual creatures as with many animals from the deep ocean. The common name comes from dumbo the flying elephant, the Disney character, for reasons which will become obvious once you have seen this clip:

The fin like flaps growing out of their mantle are used for swimming.

Distribution:

Dumbo Octopi are known from the Pacific ocean and are found in the Bathyalpelagic and Abyssopelagic
zones.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca

Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Octopoda
Family: Opisthoteuthidae
Genus: Grimpoteuthis

Image Links

http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/onlinelearningcenter/species/dumbo_octopus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grimpoteuthis#mediaviewer/File:Grimpoteuthis_discoveryi.jpg

Video Links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDxBVZhZZwI