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Scientists discover ghostlike octopus in Hawaii waters

Sunday, 06 March 2016 6:21 PM [ Last Update: Sunday, 06 March 2016 6:28 PM ]

Scientists discover ghostlike octopus in Hawaii waters (Courtesy of NOAA) (AFP)

Scientists have discovered a "ghostlike" octopus in deep water off Hawaii that appears to belong to a previously unknown species, researchers said.

A submersible research craft spotted the small, translucent octopus by chance around 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) underwater off Necker Island on the northwestern end of the Hawaiian Archipelago, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said. The octopus was caught on camera by the Okeanos Explorer, which the NOAA uses to explore underwater geology and marine life in little-known parts of the world's oceans.

This image courtesy of NOAA, Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Hohonu Moana 2016, shows small translucent octopus, nicknamed Casper for his resemblance to the famous cartoon ghost (AFP)

The researchers stumbled upon the ghost-like creature when their remotely operated vehicle was traversing a flat area of rock interspersed with sediment to collect geological samples for an unrelated study. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the unique octopus doesn't possess pigment cells that are typical of most cephalopods. His odd feature has given it a translucent appearance, and earned it the name “Casper, the Friendly Ghost” referring to a cartoon character by the same name.

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