Headlines:New deep-sea octopus species and skate nursery discovered off Costa Rica
Scientists have discovered at least four new deep-sea octopus species and a skate nursery in a 100-square-mile-sized area off Costa Rica. The discoveries were made during two expeditions in 2023 aboard Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V Falkor (too), which explored seamounts and hydrothermal springs in the Pacific Ocean.
The new octopus species belong to the genus Muusoctopus, which has evolved to brood their eggs in warm springs on the seafloor. One of the species, named Dorado Octopus, was found near a small outcrop of rock called El Dorado Hill. Another species was observed near a skate nursery at the top of a seamount nicknamed Skate Park.
The expeditions were led by Drs. Beth Orcutt of the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences and Jorge Cortés of the University of Costa Rica, and involved international collaboration and local capacity building. The deep-sea specimens collected will be archived at the Museum of Zoology at the University of Costa Rica, marking one of the first times that such samples will be housed within the Latin American country from which they were acquired.
Sources
- Scientists Discover Four New Species of Deep-Sea Octopus Schmidt Ocean Institute