Grimpoteuthis boylei
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Boyle's flapjack octopod[1] | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Cephalopoda |
| Order: | Octopoda |
| Family: | Grimpoteuthidae |
| Genus: | Grimpoteuthis |
| Species: | G. boylei |
| Binomial name | |
| Grimpoteuthis boylei Collins, 2003 [3] | |
Grimpoteuthis boylei is a species of octopus known from only ten individuals.
Grimpoteuthis boylei is a pelagic umbrella octopus, also known as the "dumbo octopus" because it bears a resemblance to the title character of Disney's film Dumbo, 1941.[4] It is large,[5] reaching a total length of 470 millimeters (18.5 inches).[6][7] Like all cirrates, it has a web over its arms and cirri between its suckers, as well as fins for swimming and a hard shell inside its mantle. G. boylei has a shell shaped like a saddle.
Habitat
Grimpoteuthis boylei lives at abyssal depths of the Northeast Atlantic Ocean, more specifically the Porcupine Abyssal Plain and the Porcupine Seabight. It lives near two other members of its genus, Grimpoteuthis challengeri and Grimpoteuthis discoveryi.[5] The octopus is found between 4,190 and 4,848 meters deep (13,747 to 15,905.5 feet).[6]
It is likely that G. boylei is demersal. While population size is unknown, G. boylei is classified as "Least Concern" because it lives at such extreme depths.[2]
Characteristics
Grimpoteuthis boylei has a life span between 3 and 5 years. The octopus has small fins that are used to propel themselves in order to move as well as to crawl on the seafloor and to capture prey.
