Shape shifting octopus found in canyon off WA coast

A new species of flapjack octopus, with massive eyes and blood-red tentacles, has been discovered from a deep-sea canyon off the coast of Australia.

The new species has been named Opisthoteuthis carnarvonensis, or the Carnarvon Flapjack Octopus, for the location in which it was found at a depth of 1044 to 1510m.

Dr Tristan Verhoeff, volunteer Systematic Taxonomist, at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery says “This new species is a flapjack octopus, which is a type of cirrate or ‘dumbo’ octopus found in the deep ocean. It is a small octopus, with a body length up to 40mm, and has an orange-brown colouration.

“Dumbo octopus are a rare and unusual species that live on the seafloor. They reproduce and grow slowly, are very soft and gelatinous, and, unlike other octopus, they produce no ink and cannot change colour.

“Australia has a higher biodiversity of dumbo octopus species compared to other countries but many of these species have only been recorded or described in the past few years.

“The Carnarvon Flapjack Octopus, which was named for the location where it was found, is only known from the Carnarvon Canyon and Gascoyne Marine Parks off northwestern Australia. Its presence adds extra value to these recently established marine parks.”

Earlier this year, Verhoeff described another new octopus species from specimens collected on the same 2022 voyage, and has also described several other new species from earlier voyages by RV Investigator and previous CSIRO research vessels.

There are approximately 50 described species of dumbo octopuses worldwide, with 15 species recorded from Australian waters.

It’s referred to as a deep-sea shape shifter with the ability to flatten its body to resemble a pancake – or flapjack, hence its name – or to pull itself up to look like a tiny gelatinous umbrella.

Their large eyes relative to their body size, enhance their ability to detect prey in the dimly lit depths in which they live. They eat worms and small crustaceans.

It’s the tenth and latest new species to be described from specimens collected during a  2022 voyage by RV Investigator led by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency.

RV Investigator undertook a month-long voyage to survey the relatively unexplored habitats and seabed biodiversity of the Gascoyne and Carnarvon Canyon Marine Parks off Western Australia. 

It marked the first scientific baseline marine survey of the Gascoyne Marine Park and the Carnarvon Canyon Marine Park, managed by Parks Australia. 

Dr Venetia Joscelyne, Team Leader of CSIRO Marine National Facility says the 2022 voyage off Western Australia has been vital for increasing our understanding of the seafloor habitats and biodiversity in the region.

“This was the first time the Carnarvon Canyon and Gascoyne Marine Parks have been mapped in detail and explored to depths of more than 5000 metres,” Joscelyne says.

“From this single research voyage alone, we are seeing many new marine species being described. Incredibly, scientists estimate that there are likely more than 1000 new species waiting to be described from specimens collected on RV Investigator voyages over the past 10 years.”

RV Investigator ship is in port in Hobart. Her next voyage will depart on Tuesday next week to continue conducting a marine ecosystem survey off SE Australia. This is the fourth and final voyage in a multi-voyage project called SEA-MES where it is investigating 3 “hypothesis of change” in the SE Australian Marine Ecosystem are being explored by the survey:

• Interactions of these two impacts are being seen through changes to the food web: The Trophic Hypothesis

• Observed impacts to the ecosystem, fish communities and benthic habitat over the past 30 years have been driven by exposure to bottom-contact fishing: The Habitat Hypothesis

• Observed impacts to the ecosystem, fish communities and benthic habitat over the past 30 years driven by changes to the water column driven by changing ocean conditions: The Climate Hypothesis

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