In 2021, researchers reported the discovery of a brand new species of Dumbo octopus, nicknamed “Emperor Dumbo” by the researchers. Dumbo octopus species can be identified by the umbrella-like webbing joining their tentacles and their cartoonishly ear-like fins that resemble the oversized ears on Disney’s famous elephant. Researchers discovered the adorable creature in 2016 when they accidentally dragged it to the surface in a net while aboard the German research ship R/V Sonne during an expedition of the Aleutian Islands in the Bering Sea.

To identify an octopus to the species level, or to characterize it as a new species typically requires destructive techniques. With the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), scans which noninvasively examine the internal organs and structure of the octopus, it was possible to make a single cut to extract a DNA sample. By using these techniques, researchers found that their endearing deep-sea dweller didn’t match any known species.

At the moment, little is known about the Emperor Dumbo, but other Dumbo octopuses live on the seafloor, as deep as 7,000 m and feed on worms and amphipods that they trap by using their tentacle webbing as an umbrella to catch food.