"Almost a half-mile below the surface of Monterey Bay, Calif., scientists recently recorded rare footage of a seven-arm octopus - only the fourth time the same research team has spotted the species in about four decades."
"In a new video posted online, scientists with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute shared footage of the giant octopus eating and holding onto a smaller red helmet jellyfish, a bioluminescent creature known to avoid sunlight."
"Scientifically known as the Haliphron atlanticus, the seven-arm octopus actually has eight arms, but males tend to keep their eighth, specialized arm - used for transferring sperm during mating - hidden, giving the appearance of only seven appendages, according to the MBARI."
Scientists captured footage nearly half a mile below Monterey Bay showing a seven-arm octopus holding and eating a red helmet jellyfish. The sighting occurred at about 700 meters (2,300 feet) depth and represents only the fourth time the same team has observed this species in roughly four decades. The species, Haliphron atlanticus, actually has eight arms, with males often concealing a specialized arm used for sperm transfer. Observations indicate a diet that includes gelatinous animals. Females grow much larger, up to 13 feet and 165 pounds, and the species inhabits the ocean twilight zone between about 650 and 3,000 feet.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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