The sighting \u201cmarked just our fourth observation of this species in nearly four decades of ocean exploration,\u201d the MBARI noted.<\/p>\n
The team that spotted the deep-sea octopus, which the MBARI<\/a> describes as a \u201crarely seen giant,\u201d was able to collect detailed observations about its behavior \u2014 including the fact that the creature had a jellyfish in its grasp during the sighting.<\/p>\n The so-called septopus was \u201cclutching\u201d a crimson red helmet jelly, the institute said, noting that the creature feeds on gelatinous animals \u2014 a tidbit revealed through previous research by Henk-Jan Hoving, an MBARI collaborator.<\/p>\n Steven Haddock, a senior scientist with the MBARI who was on the Nov. 6 expedition, told The Los Angeles Times<\/a> that \u201cto be able to confirm our first observation with this new sighting was informative because this octopus was holding a different, deeper-living type of jellyfish than we\u2019d seen before.\u201d<\/p>\n During a previous seven-arm octopus encounter in 2017, the septopus was also \u201cclutching\u201d a jellyfish, this time an egg-yolk jelly, per the institute. Further analysis of museum specimens\u2019 stomach contents confirmed that seven-arm octopus feeds on jellyfish and other gelatinous animals.<\/p>\n Speaking with The L.A. Times, Haddock expressed glee over not only spotting but learning more about the unusual deep-sea creatures.<\/p>\n Getty<\/p>\n A stock image of the Monterey Bay coast<\/p>\n \u201cIt was super exciting for me to see this species that I had only seen once before,\u201d the scientist told the newspaper. \u201cIt is also interesting that this octopus is one of the largest known species, yet it reaches these sizes [on] a gelatinous diet.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Getty](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/7cbc87a1b968265ae70cebc4be26ad52.jpeg\"\/)
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