A new #Palaeontology short detailing the new prehistoric octopus #nanaimoteuthis is now available on YouTube.

Check it out here: https://youtube.com/shorts/pxGffNzwxW4?si=oos7r9poPGwr5siz

Closest IDs: Opistoteuthidae (Dumbo octopuses) and Octopodoidea (Typical octopuses and allies)

Reasoning: I’d recognize that little guy anywhere. Not sure if the right octopus is E. dofleini (because the skin texture looks quite rippled and I don’t see an ocellus) or O. cyanea (star pattern around the eye, little spot on the mantle)

Flying in the deep: the description of a new species of Grimpoteuthis (Octopoda: Cirrata: Grimpoteuthidae) from the Caroline Seamount, with ecological adaptation of dumbo octopuses

Yan Tang, Xiaodong Zheng & Junlong Zhang

Abstract

The dumbo octopus is a deep-sea benthic macrofauna belonging to the Cirrata. It is considered a primitive taxon, displaying adaptive characteristics for deep-sea environments. In the course of a 2017 survey, a single specimen of Grimpoteuthis was captured at a depth of 1240.0 m on the Caroline Seamount in the Western Pacific Ocean. Through integrative taxonomy, this species was identified as new to science and named Grimpoteuthis feitiana sp. nov. In this study, the mitogenomes of the new species, together with another unidentified Grimpoteuthis sp. sampled from the Zhenbei Seamount, were fully sequenced. Phylogenetic analyses strongly supported the monophyly of the Grimpoteuthis and its close relationship with Luteuthis. Grimpoteuthidae was grouped with Opisthoteuthidae, Cirroctopodidae, and Cirroteuthidae in succession. Our analyses revealed that certain residues in the mitochondrial genes of deep-sea octopods have undergone positive selection, potentially contributing to their adaptations to energetic requirements. Our study emphasizes the importance of increasing sample size to offer further morphological and phylogenetic evidence and insights into octopus adaptations to the deep-sea environment in future studies.

Cirrata – Best Indie games

Well I’ve been really busy over the last few weeks adding the finishing touches to the PS4 and Nintendo Switch versions of Super Mega Space Blaster Special Turbowhich launches in a few days. Even with the game development and media chaos around me I have still managed to find the time to seek out an amazing indie game to award with our ‘Best Indie Game in Development Award’ for January 2020. This…

Opisthoteuthis bruuni (originalmente en el genero Grimpoteuthis) es solo conocida para el Pacifico Sudeste,  Antofagasta, Chile.

Con 16 juveniles recolectados en 1982, no se ha reportado desde entonces.

Obviamente luce mejor como ilustración, es tan feito ♥