November 22, 2009–A newfound creature nicknamed “Dumbo” (pictured) may look like it’s all ears–but the protrusions are actually fins that help propel the animal through the darkness 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) under the sea.
Netted during a recent Census of Marine Life (CoML) expedition to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, this Dumbo is among the thousands of deep-sea creatures the census has documented so far that live without ever knowing sunlight. Reaching six feet (two meters) in length and weighing 13 pounds (6 kilograms), the jumbo Dumbo is the largest of the octopus-like animals ever found.
