Dumbo octopus
Depth: 3,500 m · Midnight Zone
The dumbo octopus lives deeper than almost any other octopus, down to about 7000 meters. It flaps the two ear-like fins on its head to row through the dark water and hovers just above the bottom to catch small shrimp.
For scientists
Grimpoteuthis swims with its ear-like fins and steers with its funnel instead of crawling like shallow octopuses. In the icy deep without real seasons the female carries eggs at many stages of ripeness at once and lays them one by one on small stones, so young can hatch at any time. It swallows prey whole, because in the food-poor deep sea every mouthful counts.
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