A tiny octopus recently discovered deep in the ocean is so cute the researchers want to name it ‘Adorabilis’ – a perfectly fitting name judging by the way this little cephalopod looks like.
The unclassified marine creature that lives at depths up to 1,476ft, put the researchers from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in California on thoughts, as they need to find a proper name for it. But the decision might be easier than they thought, because you only have to look at this cute little thing to see it is the most adorable octopus in the world. So, what a better name than Adorabilis.
For now, the tiny pinky creature is knows as the flapjack octopus, but Stephanie Bush – researcher at the Monterey Bay Institute – want it to be recognized as Opisthotheusis Adorabilis.
Not only Bush thinks the tiny creature is adorable, but her opinion is shared by many of her colleagues. More, soon as photos of the newly discovered octopus emerged online, people immediately fell in love with it, and many of them shared the same thoughts as the researchers that discovered it, about its name.
With its large puppy eyes, its bright color and its little wing-like fins on the head, Adorabilis looks straight out of a fairytale. I am so sure it will soon become a sweet cartoon character!
“I thought that since this animal is so adorable, I should name it Adorabilis,” Stephanie Bush said. “I’m supposed to be this really serious stoic scientist, but I’m still human. It’s just so cute.”
With a tiny body that can grow up to 7 inches in diameter, the cute octopus is not larger than a men’s fist. The species has been first identified in 1990, but Dr. Bush is the first trying to differentiate it from the other octopus species.
“Giving it a name is one of the easiest parts,” she said. “We have to collect multiple specimens. There’s a lot of counting and measuring essentially.”
More about this adorable tiny creature in the video below!