Cirroteuthid Octopus Billows Like a Circus Tent, Nautilus Live

Dancing at a depth of around 1, 600 meters (5, 250 feet), this elegant octopus measures an estimated 1. 3 m (4. 2 ft) long and entertained our watch team for more than five minutes. Its really putting on a show for us, said a researcher as the cephalopod made its way toward Hercules camera, expanding its billowing arms like a circus tent blowing in the wind. Experts believe the octopus belongs to Cirroteuthidae, a family of cirrate octopuses, but the exact species is unknown. Of the recognized species,