Very rare 'glass octopus' photographed by deep-sea scientists

The photos of the very rare ‘glass octopus’ are widely being shared on social media platforms that were photographed by deep-sea scientists in the central Pacific Ocean.

The deep-sea scientists have photographed an incredibly rare glass octopus during a recent expedition in the central Pacific Ocean.

According to the reports, scientists spent around 34 days aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute research vessel to explore the remote Phoenix Islands archipelago before making the remarkable discovery.

During the expedition, high-resolution seafloor mapping of more than 30,000 kms was carried out by the team besides camera exploration of five additional seamounts.

The study is believed to be ‘the most comprehensive study of deep-sea coral and sponge ecosystems in this part of the world’.

The octopus is rare and almost completely transparent, with just three visible features – the optic nerve, eyeballs, and a digestive tract, the scientists noted.

Expedition Chief Scientist Dr Randi Rotjan said, “It has been very inspiring to help document the biodiversity of unexplored seamounts on the high seas and in U.S. waters.”

“We’re at the beginning of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, so now is the time to think about conservation broadly across all oceanscapes, and the maps, footage, and data we have collected will hopefully help to inform policy and management in decision making around new high seas protected areas,” said Dr Rotjan, adding that photos and live footage of the octopus were very rare before the expedition.

This meant scientists had to rely on studies and specimens discovered in earlier expeditions.

Executive director of Schmidt Ocean Institute Dr Jyotika Virmani said the expedition is a ‘remarkable example of frontier science and exploration’.