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May 21, 2021: Octopod

This unidentified octopod was seen clinging to a wall during a 2017 Laulima O Ka Moana: Exploring Deep Monument Waters Around Johnston Atoll dive to explore at a depth of 600 meters (1,970 feet).

Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2017 Laulima O Ka Moana. Download larger version (jpg, 1.6 MB).

This unidentified octopod was seen clinging to a wall during a 2017 Laulima O Ka Moana: Exploring Deep Monument Waters Around Johnston Atoll dive to explore at a depth of 600 meters (1,970 feet). Identification of deep-sea octopods is very difficult from imagery alone, as there are many distinguishing characteristics of different genera that can only be seen through visual inspection of a collected sample.