Uploaded December 2019 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago

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An Adorable Dumbo Octopus Stretches Its 'Wings'

See this little guy? He's just emerged into the world, but the appropriately-named Dumbo octopus is already taking his first flaps. Resemblance to a certain flying elephant notwithstanding, Dumbo octopuses actually live far below the ocean's surface. They're some of the deepest-living octopuses, and are so rare that this is the first hatchling that was caught on camera. The "ears" are actually fins that help them to swan about the seafloor.

Read more: discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/an-adorable-dumbo-octopus-stretches-its-wings

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Credit: Elizabeth Shea et al. 2018 Current Biology

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