WATCH | Casper, the ghostly octopus discovered in waters off Hawaii is likely new species

In 2016, awhite octopus floated motionlessly on the ocean floor while gazing into the camera of a deep-diving robot with its beady eyes ata depth of 4,290 metres, in the ocean off Hawaii. Nobody had ever seen an octopus-like that, let alone one that deep. It was given the moniker Casper because of its ghostly appearance. Up until that point, the only cephalopods discovered swimming about at such depths were Dumbo octopuses, named after another cartoon character. They had exquisite, ear-like flaps on either side of their heads and were seen swimming as deep as 6,957 metres.

For Janet Voight, associate curator of invertebrate zoology at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, seeing Casper was a memorable experience. She remembers the discovery and remarks, "This is totally new and different."That initial look of Casper raised a lot of intriguing questions. Why is it that colour? The majority of other octopuses have colourful chromatophores in their skin that may instantly alter their appearance and serve as camouflage to frighten away potential predators.

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Octopuses may be colourful even in the deep sea, like the purple, warty Graneledone. Some appear to conceal glowing, bioluminescent prey they capture in their arms by donning a cloak of black skin pigments, preventing other predators from becoming aware of them. Voight speculates that Casper's lack of colour in its diet may be the cause of its pallor. By reviewing five years' worth of previously recorded video from deep-sea surveys across the Pacific, scientists have discovered fresh information about Casper. They discovered dozens more creatures from two different species, perched on the seafloor like Casper.

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If other deep-sea octopuses are any indication, the female Caspers guard their eggs for a considerable amount of time. Because all we now know about the drab and enigmatic Casper octopuses come from images rather than actual specimens, they have not yet been given an official name.

(with inputs from agencies)