Ever heard of a Dumbo octopus? So named for the ear-shaped fins that look something like you might see on an elephant. The deep sea animals of the genus Grimpoteuthis are “bathyal creatures” – that means they live in some of the deepest depths of the ocean: between 9,800 and 23,000 feet (3000-7000m) below sea level – deeper than any other species of octopus. Living so deep in the “Abyss” and even as low as the very edges of the seemingly bottomless trenches in the vast oceans, these deep sea creatures are truly some of the most remotely located animals on earth.

Like many of the creatures dwelling in the darkest, lowest depths of the ocean, Dumbo octopi are strange, alien looking creatures with translucent bodies and small, odd tentacles. Because of the extreme depths that they live in, it is difficult for scientists to observe them, and thus less is known about Dumbo octopi than some of the more common species of octopus. Subsisting on a diet of small shrimps and sea worms, Dumbo octopi do not possess the same rough toothy tongue that some species of octopus have – instead, they are forced to swallow their soft prey whole. These octopi are thought to be, on average, a bit smaller than the largest individual ever found, which was 6 feet (1.8m) long, and weighed 13 pounds (5.9kg).

There are many different species in the genus that look quite different but it is when you see them in motion (see video) flapping their “ears-fins” like elephants that they look a bit like Dumbo.