Octopus Nursery Discovered 2 Miles Below Surface Might Also be Home of Potential New Species — Costa Rica

Off the coast of Costa Rica, researchers found an octopus nursery 2 miles below the surface. Additionally, they discovered a prospective new species in the area.

Researchers discovered an octopus nursery 2 miles beneath the surface off the coast of Costa Rica. They also found what might be a new species in the area. It might be the third known instance of a location where a large number of the animals congregate to lay their eggs.

Active Octopus Nursery

On a three-week excursion this month, researchers on board the Falkor research vessel of the Schmidt Ocean Institute spotted hundreds of octopuses and observed the hatching of their young at the Dorado Outcrop, which is the size of a soccer field. It was among the six underwater mountains studied by the ship's underwater robot, ROV SuBastian, and is situated 1.7 miles below the surface in the lower parts of the so-called twilight zone.

Some of the octopuses, according to Beth Orcutt, a geomicrobiologist and senior research scientist at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in Maine, were about to burst. Jorge Cortés, a Center for Research in Marine Sciences and Limnology researcher, and Orcutt served as the expedition's co-leaders.

First Impression

Scientists' puzzle was answered when they found a group of octopus parents and babies that was active.

A huge group of octopuses were initially discovered on Dorado Outcrop in 2013 during an excursion to analyze the geochemistry of the region.

The grouping of octopuses in this manner on a low-temperature hydrothermal vent, a hole in the bottom where warm, chemical-rich fluids pour out, was the first time it had been observed. Octopuses are normally solitary animals that prefer cooler waters.

Scientists counted 186 eggs and found that the octopuses appeared anxious and were unable to see any developing babies within them. The research team concluded that the environment was too hostile to be a wonderful place to have a family, according to the study published in EurekAlert!

Orcutt was a member of the group that visited the location ten years ago. The octopuses were there when her team visited that particular outcrop back then to search for proof of low-temperature vents, but they didn't appear to be effectively brooding.

She returned ten years later and noticed a new environment.

A second, smaller octopus nursery was also discovered by the researchers on a low-temperature hydrothermal vent on an unnamed seamount.

Prospective New Species

The findings provide more proof that some deep-sea octopus species may hunt for low-temperature hydrothermal vents to raise their eggs. Even though the lesser oxygen would make it more difficult to breathe, the warmer fluids may benefit egg development. According to Science Daily, octopuses are renowned for being self-sacrificing moms. After producing a clutch of eggs, they stop eating and start to deteriorate, usually passing away by the time the eggs hatch.

This octopus, which belongs to the small- to medium-sized Muusoctopus genus, may be a new species, according to scientists. Orcutt stated that the duration that the deep-sea octopuses keep their eggs there is unknown, CNN reports