The flapjack octopus is one of 10 species identified from a CSIRO voyage to Western Australian waters in 2022. Photo: CSIRO Facebook.
Research into samples collected during a 2022 voyage has unveiled a previously unknown species of flapjack octopus, to be dubbed the Carnarvon Flapjack Octopus or Opisthoteuthis carnarvonensis.
The new species, with “massive eyes and blood-red tentacles”, was discovered in a deep-sea canyon in Australian waters during a voyage by research vessel (RV) Investigator, led by the CSIRO.
The Carnarvon Flapjack Octopus is described as a small, gelatinous, deep-sea creature that grows to a mere 4 cm in diameter. It gets its name from its ability to flatten itself like a pancake.
RV Investigator studied the unexplored environment of the Gascoyne and Carnarvon Canyon Marine Parks off the coast of Western Australia for a month, marking the first scientific baseline marine survey of those parks.
Using high-tech cameras, sleds and nets to collect samples and take photos thousands of metres below the waves, researchers were able to discover at least 10 entirely new species.
“The 2022 voyage off Western Australia has been vital for increasing our understanding of the seafloor habitats and biodiversity in the region,” CSIRO Marine National Facility team leader Dr Venetia Joscelyne said.
“This was the first time the Carnarvon Canyon and Gascoyne Marine Parks have been mapped in detail and explored to depths of more than 5000 metres.”
Dr Joscelyne said scientists estimated there were likely more than 1000 new species to be described from specimens collected on Investigator voyages from the past decade.
Researchers, taxonomists, museums and research collections, including the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery and CSIRO’s Australian National Fish Collection, have been working in tandem to identify some of the new discoveries.
“This new species is a flapjack octopus, which is a type of cirrate or ‘dumbo’ octopus found in the deep ocean,” Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery volunteer systematic taxonomist Dr Tristan Verhoeff said.
”It is a small octopus, with a body length up to 40 mm, and has an orange-brown colouration.
“Dumbo octopus are a rare and unusual species that live on the seafloor. They reproduce and grow slowly, are very soft and gelatinous, and, unlike other octopuses, they produce no ink and cannot change colour.”
The voyage also discovered the painted hornshark and the parallel-spine scorpionfish.
Australia is one of 17 “megadiverse” countries and the CSIRO, along with Parks Australia, helps conserve Australia’s plant and animal life, partly through research that helps us understand our ecosystem.
“This species discovery increases our understanding of Australia’s deep-sea ecology and biodiversity,” Dr Verhoeff said.
”Describing new species is also essential for future work on their ecology, and assessing populations for conservation.”
