''Grimpoteuthis'' is a genus of

pelagic The pelagic zone consists of the water column of the open ocean and can be further divided into regions by depth. The word ''pelagic'' is derived . The pelagic zone can be thought of as an imaginary cylinder or water column between the sur ...

cirrate (finned) octopods known as the dumbo octopus. The name "dumbo" originates from their resemblance to the title character of

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

's 1941 film ''

Dumbo ''Dumbo'' is a 1941 American Animated film, animated Musical film, musical Fantasy film, fantasy Comedy drama, comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The film i ...

'', having two prominent ear-like fins which extend from the mantle above each eye. There are 17 species recognized in the genus. The Dumbo octopus has a gelatinous body and uses fin propulsion for movement, which also helps it to conserve energy in its extreme deep-sea environment. These unique physical traits distinguish it from other octopuses, which primarily rely on jet propulsion. Prey include

crustaceans Crustaceans (from Latin meaning: "those with shells" or "crusted ones") are invertebrate animals that constitute one group of Arthropod, arthropods that are traditionally a part of the subphylum Crustacea (), a large, diverse group of mainly aquat ...

bivalves Bivalvia () or bivalves, in previous centuries referred to as the Lamellibranchiata and Pelecypoda, is a class of aquatic molluscs (marine and freshwater) that have laterally compressed soft bodies enclosed by a calcified exoskeleton consis ...

, worms and

copepods Copepods (; meaning 'oar-feet') are a group of small crustaceans found in nearly every freshwater and saltwater habitat. Some species are planktonic (living in the water column), some are benthic (living on the sediments), several species have ...

. The average life span of various ''Grimpoteuthis'' species is 3 to 5 years.

Range and habitat

Species of ''Grimpoteuthis'' are assumed to have a worldwide distribution, living in the cold,

abyssal The abyssal zone or abyssopelagic zone is a layer of the pelagic zone of the ocean. The word ''abyss'' comes from the Greek word (), meaning "bottomless". At depths of , this zone remains in perpetual darkness. It covers 83% of the total area o ...

depths ranging from . Specimens have been found off the coasts of

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

, the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

Martha's Vineyard Martha's Vineyard, often simply called the Vineyard, is an island in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, lying just south of Cape Cod. It is known for being a popular, affluent summer colony, and includes the smaller peninsula Chappaquiddick Isla ...

, the

Azores The Azores ( , , ; , ), officially the Autonomous Region of the Azores (), is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal (along with Madeira). It is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the Macaronesia region of the North Atl ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, Papua and

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; , fossilized , also known as Papua or historically ) is the List of islands by area, world's second-largest island, with an area of . Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is ...

, and in the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

. {A fairly recent observation was on 21 June 2022 at by the vessel ''Normand Ocean'', which inspects

drilling platform A drilling rig is an integrated system that drills wells, such as oil or water wells, or holes for piling and other construction purposes, into the earth's subsurface. Drilling rigs can be massive structures housing equipment used to drill w ...

s with underwater drones; the vessel was examining chains and risers on the Aasta Hansteen platform outside

Trøndelag Trøndelag (; or is a county and coextensive with the Trøndelag region (also known as ''Midt-Norge'' or ''Midt-Noreg,'' "Mid-Norway") in the central part of Norway. It was created in 1687, then named Trondhjem County (); in 1804 the county was ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

. Another recent observation was on 24 May 2023 at this time in

Guyana Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern coast of South America, part of the historic British West Indies. entry "Guyana" Georgetown, Guyana, Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and is also the co ...

by the vessel '' Far Samson'', which also uses underwater drones. Further to this, the most recent known recorded observation was on 5th March 2025 by the Vessel "Boka Falcon" with a Workclass Remotely Operated Vehicle working at a depth of 960m in the Gulf Of Guinea approximately 65km South West of Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Two separate sightings approximate 20 minutes apart were observed. Dumbo octopuses are the deepest living octopuses known, with some specimens captured or observed at

hadal The hadal zone, also known as the hadopelagic zone, is the deepest region of the ocean, lying within oceanic trenches. The hadal zone ranges from around below sea level, and exists in long, narrow, topographic V-shaped depressions. The cumula ...

depths. One ''Grimpoteuthis'' specimen was captured southeast of

Grand Cayman Grand Cayman is the largest of the three Cayman Islands and the location of the territory's capital, George Town, Cayman Islands, George Town. In relation to the other two Cayman Islands, it is approximately 75 miles (121 km) southwest of L ...

at , but this depth is uncertain (as the specimen may have been captured while the net was descending to this depth). In 2020, ''Grimpoteuthis'' was spotted deep in the

Java Trench The Sunda Trench, earlier known as and sometimes still indicated as the Java Trench, is an oceanic trench located in the Indian Ocean near Sumatra, formed where the Australian- Capricorn plates subduct under a part of the Eurasian plate. It is ...

, confirming the

distribution of this genus.

Species and taxonomy

As noted below, many species collected on the ''Challenger'' expedition were initially classified in the genera '' Cirroteuthis'' and '' Stauroteuthis.'' Several species formerly classified as ''Grimpoteuthis'' were later moved to genera '' Cirroctopus'' and '' Opisthoteuthis''. A new family, Grimpoteuthididae (alternatively spelled Grimpoteuthidae), has been proposed to accommodate ''Grimpoteuthis'' and those of genera ''Enigmatiteuthis'', '' Cryptoteuthis'', and '' Luteuthis''. The persistent confusion and disparity about the taxonomy of these species has been attributed to the poor quality and limited number of specimens available for study. :{, class="wikitable sortable" , - style = "vertical-align:bottom;" !width=100pt, Species name !width=100pt, Reference !width=190pt, Geographic range ! Depth range
(meters) !width=190pt class="unsortable", Taxonomic notes , - , '' Grimpoteuthis abyssicola'' , , Tasman Sea (off New Zealand and southeastern Australia) , align="right", – , Known from two specimens. , - , '' Grimpoteuthis angularis'' , , (off New Zealand) , align="right", 628 m , Known from a single specimen. Internal shell form distinct from others in genus. , - , '' Grimpoteuthis bathynectes'' , , North Pacific (Tufts and Cascadia abyssal Plains, off Oregon) , align="right", , , - , '' Grimpoteuthis boylei'' , , Northeast Atlantic (

Porcupine Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp Spine (zoology), spines, or quills, that protect them against predation. The term covers two Family (biology), families of animals: the Old World porcupines of the family Hystricidae, and the New ...

and

Madeira Madeira ( ; ), officially the Autonomous Region of Madeira (), is an autonomous Regions of Portugal, autonomous region of Portugal. It is an archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, in the region of Macaronesia, just under north of ...

abyssal plains) , align="right", – , , - , '' Grimpoteuthis challengeri'' , , Northeast Atlantic (Porcupine abyssal plain) , align="right", – , , - , ''

Grimpoteuthis discoveryi ''Grimpoteuthis discoveryi'' is a small species of octopus known from more than 50 specimens. It was described in 2003, but specimens have been found as early as 1910. The type species was found at 49°35'N, 14°01'W. Description At maximum, ''Gr ...

'' , , Northeast Atlantic , align="right", – , , - , '' Grimpoteuthis feitiana'' , Tang, Zheng & Zhang, 2025 , Caroline Seamount, western Pacific Ocean , 1240 m , Known from one specimen , - , '' Grimpoteuthis greeni'' , , Southern Australia , align="right", 480– , Known from three specimens. , - , '' Grimpoteuthis hippocrepium'' , , East Pacific (off

Malpelo Island Malpelo is a small oceanic island in the eastern Pacific Ocean, located about west of the Colombian mainland with a military post manned by the Colombian Armed Forces. It consists of a sheer and barren rock with three high peaks, the highest ...

) , align="right", , Previously assigned to genus '' Stauroteuthis''; known from a single, "sadly mutilated" individual according to Hoyle. The internal shell form is similar to ''G. abyssicola''. , - , '' Grimpoteuthis imperator'' , , Emperor Seamounts, North Pacific , align="right", – , Known from a single specimen. , - , '' Grimpoteuthis innominata'' , , South Pacific (east of New Zealand) , align="right", , Alternatively classified as ''Enigmatiteuthis'' , - , '' Grimpoteuthis meangensis'' , , West Pacific (off Meangis Islands, near Philippines) , align="right", 925 m , Previously assigned to genera '' Cirroteuthis'' and '' Stauroteuthis'' , - , '' Grimpoteuthis megaptera'' , Verrill (1885) , Northwest Atlantic (southeast of

) , align="right", , Previously assigned to genus '' Cirroteuthis'' , - , '' Grimpoteuthis pacifica'' , , South Pacific (off

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean n ...

) , align="right", , Previously assigned to genus '' Cirroteuthis'' , - , '' Grimpoteuthis plena'' , Verrill (1886) , Northwest Atlantic , align="right", , Previously assigned to genus '' Cirroteuthis'' , - , '' Grimpoteuthis tuftsi'' , , North Pacific (Tufts and Cascadia abyssal plains off Oregon) , align="right", , , - , '' Grimpoteuthis umbellata'' ,

Fischer Fischer is a German occupational surname, meaning fisherman. The name Fischer is the fourth most common German surname. The English version is Fisher. People with the surname A * Abraham Fischer (1850–1913) South African public official * ...

(1883) , North Atlantic (off Morocco,

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...

, and the

) , align="right", , Previously assigned to genus '' Cirroteuthis'' , - , '' Grimpoteuthis wuelkeri'' , , Northeast and northwest Atlantic , align="right", ,

Movement, characteristics, and food supply

Observations of animals in the Atlantic reveal that ''Grimpoteuthis'' often rest on the seafloor with the arms and web spread out and uses its arms to slowly crawl along the seafloor. When disturbed, the webbing and arms are contracted to propel the animal off the seafloor and using the mantle fins for rapid locomotion. The cushiony cartilage that can be found in the proximal position of the fin of ''Grimpoteuthis'' is responsible for acting as a support for the thick muscles that allow for rapid locomotion. Although it has been suggested that species of ''Grimpoteuthis'' are capable of jet-propulsion (while swimming using the fins), this has since been deemed unlikely. Feeding behavior has not been directly observed in ''Grimpoteuthis'', but presumably is similar to '' Opisthoteuthis'' which can trap small prey items in the webbing (either by enclosing the prey in the arm webbing or between the webbing and the seafloor) and then use the cirri (fingerlike projections along the arms) to move food to the mouth. Known prey items (from dissected animals) include benthic

polychaetes Polychaeta () is a paraphyletic class of generally marine annelid worms, commonly called bristle worms or polychaetes (). Each body segment has a pair of fleshy protrusions called parapodia that bear many bristles, called chaetae, which are m ...

benthopelagic The demersal zone is the part of the sea or ocean (or deep lake) consisting of the part of the water column near to (and significantly affected by) the seabed and the benthos. The demersal zone is just above the benthic zone and forms a layer of ...

amphipods Amphipoda () is an order (biology), order of malacostracan crustaceans with no carapace and generally with laterally compressed bodies. Amphipods () range in size from and are mostly detritivores or scavengers. There are more than 10,700 amphip ...

and

isopods Isopoda is an Order (biology), order of crustaceans. Members of this group are called isopods and include both Aquatic animal, aquatic species and Terrestrial animal, terrestrial species such as woodlice. All have rigid, segmented exoskeletons ...

Breeding

The cirrate octopuses are classified as 'continuous spawners': Females carry multiple eggs in various stages of maturation, and only lay one or two eggs at a time, with no seasonality in spawning (however, most of these aspects of reproductive biology have only been confirmed in ''Opisthoteuthis'', not ''Grimpoteuthis''). Mating in cirrate octopuses has never been observed, and unlike other octopuses, members of Cirrata lack a

hectocotylus A hectocotylus (: hectocotyli) is one of the arms of male cephalopods that is specialized to store and transfer spermatophores to the female. Structurally, hectocotyli are muscular hydrostats. Depending on the species, the male may use it merel ...

for the transfer of sperm packets. Cirrate octopus eggs are large and have a tough casing surrounding the

chorion The chorion is the outermost fetal membrane around the embryo in mammals, birds and reptiles (amniotes). It is also present around the embryo of other animals, like insects and molluscs. Structure In humans and other therian mammals, the cho ...

(not found in other octopuses), and ''Grimpoteuthis'' in particular attach their eggs to deep sea corals ( octocorals). Unlike other octopuses, the female cirrate octopus does not guard or incubate the eggs. ''Grimpoteuthis'' hatchlings emerge as "fully competent" juveniles with all of the sensory and motor features to survive on their own.

Sexual dimorphism Sexual dimorphism is the condition where sexes of the same species exhibit different Morphology (biology), morphological characteristics, including characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most dioecy, di ...

between males and females is less noticeable and consistent in ''Grimpoteuthis'' compared to other cirrate octopuses (such as ''Opisthoteuthis''). In some species (e.g., ''G. bathynectes'' and ''G.. discoveryi''), the males have enlarged suckers relative to the females, but no such enlargement is found in other ''Grimpoteuthis'' species.

Threats

Species of ''Grimpoteuthis'' face few direct threats from humans largely due to living at depths of and below. Natural predators of cirrate octopuses include large

teleost Teleostei (; Ancient Greek, Greek ''teleios'' "complete" + ''osteon'' "bone"), members of which are known as teleosts (), is, by far, the largest group of ray-finned fishes (class Actinopterygii), with 96% of all neontology, extant species of f ...

fish and sharks, and even marine mammals such as sperm whales and seals, but these are mostly predators of other cirrate genera''. Grimpoteuthis'' has only been recorded in the stomach contents of a shark. The ''Grimpoteuthis'' do not have an ink sac (as is the case with all cirrate octopuses). Furthermore, the cirrate octopuses lack innervated chromatophores and therefore are not capable of changing color (despite some unreferenced statements to the contrary). How cirrate octopuses escape or avoid predators is largely unknown.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q2165446 Octopuses Cephalopods of Oceania Molluscs of the Atlantic Ocean Molluscs of the Pacific Ocean