Dumbo octopus: “pppbbbbbttthhh!”

This octopus is all: "I leeve in dee depths of dee oh-ceayns." [covers eyes with ear flaps] "No flash photographies!"

"Pppbbbbbtttthhh!!!"

Dumbooctopus

I must say, this pic has been sent in by beellions of people, so thank you… most recently, "M.R.", courtesy of the NY Times.

See MORE interestin’pics in this here book: The Deep. Good idea, Steph H.!

87 comments … read them below or add one

  1. anner says:

    bleeny bleeny bleen bleen?

  2. ali says:

    it almost looks like those animals made out of fruit…

    anyone know what i’m talking about??

  3. Pixy Misa says:
  4. liz says:

    i’m not so sure about “cute”.
    i’m sure its mother thinks it the cutest thing ever….

    Be careful. Theo may eat it.

    agree with Ali- looks kinda like a skinned mango or something???

  5. ali says:

    Pixy Misa – YES! Thanks! Doesn’t it look like it though?

  6. DKN says:

    Cute! Makes me think of…

    “Awwww! You guys made me ink!”

  7. dayna says:

    ali:
    You took the words right outta my mouth! That’s EXACLTY what I thought!

  8. annie says:

    What the Heck ????? Looks at object cross eyed. Are you sure it’s alive?? really!! are you sure??

    An Octapus you say! Hmmmmm.

  9. metsakins says:

    all right

    all right

    I don’t think all animals say
    “Pppbbbbbtttthhh!!!”

    at least some of them don’t

  10. anner says:

    metsakins – yes, this one looks more like it’s saying “blaaaaaaaahhhgh”!

  11. annie says:

    http://www.mbari.org/data/info/grimpo.htm

    ooooo! they hover above the sea floor. Okay maybe eet is cute. here is more info for all you budding marine biologists.

    And a grownup picture?

    http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/blueplanet/photo/photo_zoom7.html

  12. Bev says:

    I..what…it’s…are you sure that’s an octopus? It looks like those leetle toys in a water dome, you push a button and they dance.

  13. chacha says:

    oh … okay … now, that’s just really … weird.

  14. Laura says:

    Pikachu! Thundershock!

  15. Kritter says:

    Adult version is not cute.

  16. Robbie says:

    I’m glad you posted what it is. I couldn’t have guessed in a thousand years.

  17. Poppy says:

    Front? Back? Eyes? Just one? Where’s the 8 legs? I dunno, looks like a Pokemon to me.

  18. kate says:

    looks like the lil octopus off of finding nemo

  19. Redzilla says:

    Yup, the bebeh, he looks like fruit art. The adult is kinda cute, what the flappiness and the blue eyes.

  20. fish eye no miko says:

    I shall call him “Squishy” and he shall be mine, and he shall by my Squishy. ^_^

    /I need to watch that movie again…

  21. trin says:

    I am SO going to make an amigurumi of this guy!

  22. elliottsmommy says:

    ahn. it looks like a shaved pear. i believe those pointy things (only 4 of 8 showing) will be the tentacles. actually, i was being polite. it looks *somewhat* similar to a portion of a man’s anatomy. or maybe, as usual, i just need to get some. :^[

  23. Raquelagnome says:

    I agree with DKN… “Aw, you guys made me ink!” is right!! One tentacle is shorter than the rest, but you can’t “really” tell! Aw :)

  24. R. Moore says:

    That is the strangest thing I’ve seen in a long time.

  25. Theo says:

    Liz — I’m more of a calamari fan. (LIGHTLY fried.)
    (With marinara and lemon.)
    (mmm.)

  26. jen says:

    “awwww, you guys made me ink!”

  27. liz says:

    mmmm. calimari (whispered quietly)
    so, we will have to wait for this thing to grow up to eat it then???

  28. annie says:

    TO me it is making that buzzing whirr sound like humming birds make when they fly past you.
    you know the one whirzzzzzzzz..

  29. Redzilla says:

    Yes, you have to wait. This little guy would only produce calimari NUBBINS.

  30. musicchick2 says:

    I usually think most anything is cute, but I just can’t “cute-ify” an octopus. Even a behbeh one. Are we SURE this is an octopus and not some other type of sea creature?

    Annie…thanks for the link, but I agree wif Kritter – adult version is not cute. Did you look at the rest of the pics? Did you see that clear wormy thing?!? OMG! *home alone face* I won’t say what THAT thing looks like! *ewww….slinks off to wash my eyeballs*

  31. annie says:

    Now Now MusicChick all creatures are beautiful in God’s Eyes.

    hehehe

  32. mm says:

    Octopuses (octopi) are TOO cute! Babies and adults. And they’re smart, besides.

  33. Rachel says:

    That is in fact the back of the octopus, as you can clearly see the tube it uses to funnel water and propel itself. Those little points are the tips of its tentacles; it has skin between its tentacles, so they’re actually much longer than they appear.

  34. Liz says:

    I agree with DKN and kate. Totally looks like the pink squid/octo from Finding Nemo. It also looks a little like a PacMan ghost.

  35. Des says:

    I Like Him!!!

  36. Anne says:

    Sorta cute in a squishy way, but where’s the Ewwwwwww commenter NOW! This actually has a teenie bit of Ewwwww potential, in a nice way.

  37. snusnu says:

    It’s Pearl from Finding Nemo!

  38. kevin h. says:

    Octipi ARE the cute…anyone who says otherwise can bite my syphon.

  39. PixieDust says:

    Awwww, squishy!! Soo cute!!

  40. Nagl says:

    The grown-ups are pretty nifty too:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/planetearth/wallpaper/images/wallpaper9_800.jpg

    Wellington boots for tentacles!

  41. Theresa says:

    It’s a — Pokemon!!

  42. JLWS says:

    I have one of these on my nightstand!!

    http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90064441

  43. If this image doesn’t turn up in a Fark Photoshop contest very soon, I will lose all faith in teh Intartubez.

  44. Theo says:

    Carpe Molluscem, Biggus Mikeus!

  45. I’m not a Farker (but I play one on TV).

    / Welease Woger!
    // Welease Bwian!
    /// Welease Swashies!

  46. Mary (the first) says:

    I thought I was somewhat conversant with a good number of non-human things but I sure have never heard of this thing. I think we need a new rule of cuteness: SO UGLY IT’S CUTE!! similar to CUTE OR SAD? but without the sad.
    What do you other peeps think? New rule?

  47. gennessee says:

    Well, there’s not a lot more “cute” here, but if you find this deep sea life as fascinating as I do, check out the website for the book:

    http://www.press.uchicago.edu/books/nouvian/nouvian_gallery.html

  48. ka9q's wife says:

    Have you ever seen Piglet Squid? I posted them before and people thought I was making it up. They are a real species.
    http://serpent.eprints.org/view/species/Helicocranchia_sp.html
    Check them out.

  49. mm says:

    Piglet squid is awesome! :)

  50. alison says:

    That piglet squid is anerable!! It looks surprised: “Look at how cute I am!!”

  51. Megan says:

    All bebehs are cute by definition! I quote the OED (unabridged — it has no reason to be succinct unless succinct says it all): “Cute = bebeh.”

    This guy reminds me of those little rubber guys you used to find in dime stores (when you used to find dime stores) — you’d squeeze him and his ears, eyes, and tongue would pop out…. Remember?

  52. Ponygirl says:

    I don’t understand this cute little octopus.

  53. onionpencil musashi says:

    i loves heem (her?)

  54. drij says:

    Cthulhu Pppbbbbbtttthhhagn???

  55. limbonics says:

    aww its a cthulhu spawn!

  56. donutbill says:

    Hey, this little guy is cuter than those brainless human tetris blocks.

  57. Shannon Johnson says:

    Where’d this little guy come from? He is so cute.

  58. Spock says:

    Fascinating…

  59. Melissa says:

    Are you sure it’s not a Pokemon?

  60. AlbertaGirl says:

    Yay! Dumbo octopi are some of my favourite animals EVAR!!!

    On a related note, did anyone watch the program on Discovery tonight about Humboldt squid? They’re more dangerous than sharks, apparently. Fascinating indeed.

  61. Suda Nim says:

    One of them Discovery Channel page critters look like a Triffid.

  62. Karen says:

    Weird, but kind of cute.

  63. Monica says:

    Here’s one in motion!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar4wljKzTGo

    The way they swim is completely redunculous!!!!!

    How can you say it’s not cute??

  64. Nayir says:
  65. pkeli says:

    Now I have calamari on the brain… But guys, I’m pretty sure calamari is made from squid, not octopus so the little dumbo fella is out. However, I wonder if piglet squid calamari tastes like bacon…

  66. Lisa says:

    Piglet squids are wonderful! I wonder what kind of sound they would make – maybe a squeaky oink?

  67. Lisa says:

    Also, they should be called “squiglets” fo sho.

  68. Kat says:

    pkeli, you just nearly made me snort my coffee…tastes like bacon…HAHAHAHAH!

  69. I theenk he sort of looks like a very nice hat wheech I would wear with all of thees seasons summer fashyons. He could be a hat, or a brooch, or a pterydactyl…

  70. pkeli says:

    Kat — Something’s funny? I’m eating squiglet with eggs and toast as we speak. Totally bacon, and it DID make an oinky-squeak…

  71. Megan says:

    The adult is a bit creepy looking. But the baby is pretty cute, for an octopus.

    I saw that special on Humbolt (sp?0 squid. They are really nifty the way they change colors.

  72. AlbertaGirl says:

    Here’s another pic of the piglet squid. It looks like it’s smiling!

    http://www.cabrilloaq.org/piglet.html

  73. a different Laura says:

    Another squid that is really cute is called a Pyjama Squid; it’s black and white striped! I don’t have pic, but google it and you’ll see what I mean…

  74. lauowolf says:

    I’m at sea here.
    There’s a eye.
    And (?) a beak.
    Weird.
    But cute.

  75. elliottsmommy says:

    AlbertaGirl, i believe that piglet squid is of the rarer subspecies Rastafarian BobMarleyexus varietay.

  76. Annie says:

    Okay I am an uneducated sort I guess. I thought squids and octopi were the same genis. Obviously I need to go to marine biology school.

  77. eikoleigh says:

    Weird, but SO cute….like a little baby alien thingamabob….

  78. Jen says:

    Can’t be an octopus. Octopi don’t have visible ears, and their mouths are located on the underside, in the center of the tentacles. It’s cute, but is in no way an octopus.

  79. moonpies says:

    OMFG i can’t tell wether or not that’s creepy!

  80. Subhangi says:

    SQUEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! He looks like a little alien blob!

  81. Theo says:

    Annie — they’re all mollusks, and more specifically, cephalopods. That’s their taxonomic Phylum and Class, respectively; the classifications for octopi and various squids split away from each other after that.

    The categories of taxonomy go like this (descending order, largest group to smallest):
    Kingdom
    Phylum
    Class
    Order
    Family
    Genus
    Species

    (mnemonic: “Kings Play Chess On Fuzzy Green Squares”)

    So, they’re not *too* closely related, but you *can* get both at a decent sushi counter.
    ;)

  82. Annie says:

    Yummm. I love Calamari.
    Thanks Theo.

    I love the mnemonic.

    It is all so much more complicated than you think when you look on the surface.

    When I went looking briefly last night there was a whole argument about how many suckers are on the arms/tenticles and the placement of the suckers.

    That article didn’t go into the family genus or kingdom. Aparently it was too much for the reporter.

    The only trouble with looking stuff up on line is most of the stuff you find is not very complete and sometimes incorrect.

    Pffft. Any way thanks for the science lesson.

  83. Theo says:

    “It is all so much more complicated than you think when you look on the surface.”

    yep, the ocean’s funny that way
    ;)

  84. anomalous4 says:

    Pac-Man, you are so-o-o-o-o-o-o-o TOAST!

  85. Theo says:

    LOL Anom4… watch out for the wasabi and pickled-ginger power pellets, though…

  86. Amorina says:
  87. Lily says:

    PIKACHU ^..^