Muusoctopus leioderma
This is the most adorable little octopus you’ve never seen. The Smoothskin octopus is named for its uniquely smooth orange skin, lacking the bumps or papillae common in other octopuses.
This species is a mysterious deep-water traveler that has recently been discovered in shallow water for the first time! This incredible little underwater gopher is also a burrowing octopus, making its den a tunnel that extends far below the seafloor!
60cm long (2 ft)
Unknown
Deep water: mud & silt
Benthic invertebrates (crabs, shrimps, worms) and fishes
Northeast Pacific Ocean from Alaska to California
Skates, fishes, dogfish sharks, sea lions, fur seals, beluga whales
superpower
This octopus can evade predators and rest during the day by burrowing under the muddy seafloor. Unlike burying, where the octopus simply covers itself with a thin layer of sand, this octopus can get much deeper underground to form a tunnel for shelter.
This octopus was first described as Polypus leioderma in 1911, before being moved to the Octopus genus, then again it was changed to Benthoctopus, until finally joining the newly formed Muusoctopus genus in 2004. Recent genetic research suggests that M. leioderma doesn’t quite fit in the Muusoctopus group either, so their name may change again soon!
This is a very small octopus, with large, cartoon-like round eyes, bulbous mantle that make it a really cute octopus. The deep water smoothskin octopus can grow to be as large as 60 cm, or 2 ft long.
The lifespan of this octopus is completely unknown.
This octopus is commonly found in the northeastern Pacific, as far north as Siberia all the way down to California.
Smoothskin octopus live in marine sediment beds of mud or silt, and are generally only active at night. During the day, they retreat into their burrows. These tunnel-like structures act as the species main shelter. This octopus is normally found in very deep waters only accessible by trawl boats, with most being found between 450-650 m (1476-2133 ft).
Deep sea Muuscotpus leioderma was believed to eat fishes and crustaceans like shrimp, but that’s based on other Muusoctopus species and not on any direct evidence.
This octopus, as its name implies, has characteristically smooth, untextured orange skin, lacking the raised papillae found in a related species, the giant Pacific octopus ( Enteroctopus dofleini). The smoothskin octopus also has a distinctive raised fold of skin around the lateral margin of the mantle known as a keel, which is found in some other burrowing and burying octopus species.The keel may function in helping this octopus create its burrow. Scientists investigated the keels’ relationship to burrowing, and found evidence that burrowing behavior and the presence of a keel in benthic octopus species are evolutionarily linked. Additionally, individual Muusoctopus leioderma that stop burrowing in captivity will actually lose their keel over time.
This octopus is nocturnal and cannot be found during the day. However, at night it can be seen walking around the seafloor. When threatened or disturbed, it will burrow into the sediment, forcing itself deep down into the super soft mud and vanishing without a trace in seconds. Burrowing, unlike burying, involves the octopus creating a more permanent structure, such as a tunnel, below the sediment layer that it can live in, making a cozy space where it can rest during the day or hide from predators.
This species is historically only found in deep waters with trawl nets. However, a population of Smoothskin octopus have been discovered in depths as shallow as 11 meters (33 ft).
In 2023, scientists discovered this shallow water population in Burrows Bay, Washington, USA (coastal northeast Pacific Ocean) and are exploring why they may be there. It also gives scientists the opportunity to understand the details of this unique burrowing behavior.
This shallow-water population is a little different from deep water individuals, and these differences seem to be connected with the warmer water temperatures you see in shallower waters.
For one, scientists have found that shallow water individuals are generally smaller than 10 cm (4 inches), much smaller than deep water individuals.
They also seem to have lower sucker counts on their arms compared to deep water individuals, both of which are trends observed when water temperatures get warmer.
While observations of their morphology and genetic testing revealed that this shallow water population resembles the deep water Muusoctopus leioderma, testing also revealed that this species is more closely related to Octopus californicus than to other members of the genus Muusoctopus.
The taxonomic placement of M. leioderma remains a mystery.
Mission: OctoNation works to inspire wonder of the ocean by educating the world about octopuses.
We’ve work with scientists, educators, and artists to make a global impact since 2015
OctoNation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization (tax identification number 82-3844830) under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional | 11 months | The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". |
viewed_cookie_policy | 11 months | The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data. |