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, of the Carnarvon Flapjack Octopus, after the location in which it was found.

This is the tenth – and latest – new species to be described from specimens collected during a 2022 voyage by the research vessel (RV) Investigator, led by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency. It had undertaken a month-long voyage to survey the relatively unexplored habitats and seabed biodiversity of the Gascoyne and Carnarvon Canyon Marine Parks off Western Australia.

“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,” said Dr Tristan Verhoeff, a volunteer Systematic Taxonomist from the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.

“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 is only known from the Carnarvon Canyon and Gascoyne Marine Parks off northwestern Australia.

Its presence adds extra value to the region’s recently established marine parks.

Small and gelatinous, this species of deep-sea octopus can grow to around 4cm in diameter. While little is known about its ecology or lifestyle, this deep-sea shapeshifter has the ability to flatten its body to resemble a pancake – or flapjack – or pull itself up to look like a tiny gelatinous umbrella. With large eyes relative to their body size, these octopus can detect prey in the dimly lit depths of where they live and dine on worms and small crustaceans.

Earlier this year, Dr 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 the RV Investigator and previous CSIRO research vessels.

Scientists are now creating a growing list of new species from this 2022 voyage including the recently described Painted Hornshark and parallel-spine Scorpionfish. These discoveries help marine managers, such as Parks Australia, better conserve and protect the diversity of marine life that inhabits Australia’s oceans.

Dr Venetia Joscelyne, team leader at CSIRO Marine National Facility, said: “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 5,000 metres. 

“Conducting research in remote, offshore, or deep ocean environments is generally challenging but RV Investigator provides researchers with an impressive range of capabilities to do this. From this single research voyage alone, we are seeing many new marine species being described. 

“Incredibly, scientists estimate that there are likely more than 1,000 new species waiting to be described from specimens collected on RV Investigator voyages over the past ten years. These discoveries are vital in helping us understand the conservation needs of the marine parks and will assist Parks Australia in maintaining the marine parks’ natural values in the future.”

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