This Tiny Blue Octopus Was Found 5,800 Feet Beneath the Ocean — and Scientists Had Never Seen Anything Like It

May 28, 2026

A tiny bright blue octopus discovered deep beneath the waters of the Galápagos Islands is reminding scientists just how much of our planet is still waiting to be explored.

Credit: Charles Darwin Foundation

The newly identified species, named Microeledone galapagensis, is so small it could fit in the palm of your hand. Researchers first spotted the little creature nearly 5,800 feet below the ocean’s surface during a deep-sea expedition near Darwin Island in the Galápagos archipelago.

And when scientists saw it for the first time through the camera of an underwater robot, their reactions said it all:

The team managed to collect the tiny animal along with footage of two others nearby. Back at the Charles Darwin Research Station, the golf ball-sized octopus immediately stood out among the many deep-sea specimens gathered during the expedition.

But studying the rare creature created a major challenge.

Normally, scientists must dissect an octopus specimen to study details like its mouth, beak, and teeth in order to officially classify it as a new species. The problem was that researchers only had one confirmed specimen.

“We only had the one specimen, so I didn’t want to take it apart,” octopus expert Janet Voight explained.

Instead, the team turned to advanced CT scanning technology to examine the octopus without damaging it. Thousands of X-ray images were combined to create a detailed 3D model showing both the outside and internal organs of the tiny animal.

Credit: Charles Darwin Foundation

The scans revealed enough information for scientists to officially confirm the octopus as a completely new species.

“These are little octopuses that live in the deep sea, and hardly anybody on Earth has ever gotten to see them,” Voight said. “The oceans are so big, and there’s so much left to explore.”

Read the full press release here.