Researchers have identified a previously unknown species of cephalopod, designated as Microeledone galapagensis, discovered at significant depths near the Galapagos Islands.

研究人員在加拉帕戈斯群島附近的深海中，發現了一種先前未知的頭足類動物，命名為 Microeledone galapagensis。

The initial encounter occurred in 2015 during an expedition by the E/V Nautilus submersible, where a specimen was located approximately 5,800 to 5,900 feet below the surface near Darwin Island. Following the collection of the specimen and two additional sightings of similar organisms, the specimen was transferred to the Charles Darwin Research Station and subsequently dispatched to the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago for taxonomic analysis.

首次發現於 2015 年 E/V Nautilus 潛水艇探險期間，當時在達爾文島附近水下約 5,800 至 5,900 英尺處發現了一件樣本。在收集該樣本以及隨後兩次發現類似生物後，樣本被移交至查爾斯·達爾文研究站，隨後被送往芝加哥的菲爾德自然歷史博物館進行分類分析。

Due to the singularity of the specimen, traditional invasive dissection—required for the examination of the beak and dental structures—was eschewed in favor of non-destructive imaging. The research team utilized micro CT scans to construct a high-resolution 3D model, facilitating an internal anatomical assessment without compromising the physical integrity of the organism.

由於該樣本具有唯一性，研究團隊捨棄了檢查喙部和牙齒結構所需的傳統侵入性解剖，轉而採用非破壞性成像。研究團隊利用微型 CT 掃描構建高解析度 3D 模型，以便在不損害生物身體完整性的情況下進行內部解剖評估。

Taxonomically, M. galapagensis is categorized within the Megaleledonidae family, though it exhibits a marked reduction in size compared to its Southern Ocean relatives. Morphological distinctions include a single row of suckers on abbreviated arms and a smooth dorsal surface. The specimen displays a distinct chromatic dichotomy, featuring a cerulean dorsal hue and a deep purple ventral surface. Janet Voight posits that this pigmentation serves a predatory defensive function, whereby the dark ventral webbing obscures bioluminescent prey to prevent the detection of the octopus by higher-order predators. This discovery underscores the vastness of unexplored benthic environments in the Pacific Ocean, where the identification of novel species remains frequent.

在分類學上，M. galapagensis 被歸類於 Megaleledonidae 科，但與其南冰洋的親屬相比，其體型明顯較小。形態特徵包括縮短的手臂上僅有一排吸盤，以及光滑的背面。該樣本呈現出明顯的色彩對比，背面為天藍色，腹面則為深紫色。Janet Voight 認為這種色素具有捕食防禦功能，透過深色的腹部蹼遮蔽發光獵物，以防止更高階的捕食者發現該章魚。此次發現凸顯了太平洋深海環境的廣大且尚未被充分探索，在該區域仍頻繁發現新物種。

The formal description of Microeledone galapagensis has been published in the journal Zootaxa, expanding the known catalog of the approximately 300 global octopus species.

Microeledone galapagensis 的正式描述已在《Zootaxa》期刊發表，擴充了全球約 300 種章魚的已知名錄。