Their main threats aren’t humans, but large fish, sharks, sperm whales, and even seals. In such difficult conditions, there’s a lack of both predators and prey for these octopi, yet their incredible adaptions allow for thriving populations. Dumbos also lack maternal instincts, just leaving the hard eggs to hatch and produce fully functioning octopi. The hectocotylus is a common feature in most octopi, and it is basically an extra arm which functions in breeding. However, this is the extent of our knowledge of Dumbo octopi breeding, and their exact mating mechanisms are a mystery, except that the males do not have a hectocotylus for sperm transfer. Unlike most animals, Dumbo octopi don’t have a set maturity time nor breeding season, instead reproduction happens continuously, as females can carry multiple eggs in various growth stages and can lay 1-2 eggs at a time. But usually, they’re only a little bit larger than an adult guinea pig. Of course, Dumbo octopi can never compete with elephants in size, as on average they’re about 7.9 to 12 inches and length, with the largest ever observed weighing in at 13lbs and 6ft 32 inches in length. They’re easily recognized by their giant ear fins, which help propel them in highly pressurized, freezing water, just like their Disney namesake. Currently, there’s about 13 individual species that fall under this Dumbo octopus a.k.a Grimpoteuthis umbrella, but they all share quite similar characteristics. Located all over the world in waters as deep as 1,000 to 7,000 meters (some species even living in the harsh hadal zones), Dumbo octopi are perhaps the cutest deep sea creatures.
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