{"data":{"id":1712,"lang":"en","title":"Golf-Ball-Sized Blue Octopus Found 5,800 Feet Deep Off Galapagos Is Confirmed as a Brand-New Species","summary":"A tiny blue octopus found nearly 6,000 feet deep off the Galapagos has been confirmed as a new species, Microeledone galapagensis, in a study published May 25, 2026.","category":"science","category_label":"Science","published_at":"2026-05-25T18:01:04Z","updated_at":"2026-05-25T18:01:04Z","url":"https://techtools.cz/tools/news/article/1712-golf-ball-sized-blue-octopus-found-5-800-feet-deep-off-galapagos-is-confirmed","api_url":"https://techtools.cz/news-api/v1/articles/1712?lang=en","markdown_url":"https://techtools.cz/news-api/v1/articles/1712.md?lang=en","image_url":"https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Blue-Octopus_aa2d1d.png?quality=85\u0026w=2000","word_count":148,"reading_time_minutes":1,"sources":[{"url":"https://www.popsci.com/environment/blue-galapagos-octopus/","domain":"popsci.com"},{"url":"https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/tiny-alien-like-blue-octopus-discovered-lurking-off-the-galapagos-islands/","domain":"scientificamerican.com"},{"url":"https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260525000446.htm","domain":"sciencedaily.com"}],"translation":{"lang":"cs","id":1785,"title":"Modrá chobotnice velikosti golfového míčku nalezená 1 800 metrů hluboko u Galapág byla potvrzena jako zcela nový druh","url":"https://techtools.cz/tools/news/clanek/1785-modra-chobotnice-velikosti-golfoveho-micku-nalezena-1-800-metru-hluboko-u","api_url":"https://techtools.cz/news-api/v1/articles/1785?lang=cs"},"content":"Scientists have officially described a tiny, vividly blue octopus discovered nearly 6,000 feet beneath the Galapagos Islands as an entirely new species, named Microeledone galapagensis. The announcement was published in the journal Zootaxa on May 25, 2026, capping years of study of a single female specimen.\n\nThe golf-ball-sized creature was first spotted in 2015 by a remotely operated vehicle from the exploration vessel Nautilus, combing the seafloor near Darwin Island at the northern edge of the archipelago. Lead author Janet Voight, curator emerita of invertebrates at Chicago's Field Museum, said she knew immediately it was something special when colleagues sent her photos.\n\nThe octopus stood out for its smooth skin, large rachidian tooth, and oversized funnel organ, while its lack of an ink sac, crop diverticulum, and anal flaps complicated its placement within the Megaleledonidae family. The find underscores how much of the deep ocean remains unexplored."}}