Scientists discovered at least four new species of deep-sea octopus off the Costa Rica coast in 2023, researchers announced last week. The finds took place during two expeditions devoted to exploring an underwater mountain home to an octopus nursery.
Scientists found two octopus nurseries during the June expedition and in December confirmed they are active year-round, according to a news release from the Schmidt Ocean Institute, whose research vessel Falkor (too) acted as a mobile lab for scientists from the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, the University of Costa Rica and other institutions.
One of the newly identified octopus species probably evolved to take advantage of the springs’ warmth, using it to keep their eggs warm as they incubate on the seafloor. Researchers observed that new species, a kind of Muusoctopus they named the Dorado Octopus, brooding their eggs alongside the vent. They believe it is related to another relatively new octopus species, the Pearl Octopus, which was discovered in 2018 at a California seamount two miles beneath the surface. The other newly identified species were found away from the underwater hot springs.
Other discoveries during the expeditions included a deep-sea skate nursery and three hydrothermal springs with different chemical profiles and temperatures, suggesting there is even more to discover about the abundant life that lies deep in the ocean.
Next, researchers will work to describe the new species and study biological specimens collected during the expedition, which will be archived at the University of Costa Rica’s zoology museum.