Spotted: Deep-sea besties doing deep-sea things 🐙💞
Grimpoteuthis octopuses use the movement of their large fins and arms to propel themselves through the water. They are affectionately called the "dumbo" octopuses because of those flapping fins. This group of octopuses is typically found on or near the deep seafloor, where they use finger-like cirri on their arms to catch small crustaceans, worms, and other prey items. The seafloor squish next to this cutie pie cephalopod is a sea pig (Scotoplanes sp.). Sea pigs are one of the most commonly sighted animals on the deep seafloor off Monterey Bay. Unlike most sea cucumbers, which have stumpy tube feet tucked beneath their bodies, sea pigs use their long, stilt-like tube feet to suspend their bodies above the soft mud.
