Grumpy Cat better watch out — this adorable little cephalopod looks like a real-life Pokemon. It is so cute, in fact, that scientists are thinking of naming it "Opisthoteuthis adorabilis." Opisthoteuthis is the name of its genus, and adorabilis? Well. With big eyes, a squishy body, and hippo-like ears, the octopus does look a bit like this favorite Pixar character.
According to Science Friday, researchers have been studying these mini cephalopods since 1990, and only now are they getting around to naming these creatures. The octopuses have fairly large eyes for their tiny bodies, and stumpy, webbed limbs, which they spread out "and kind of parachute along," says Dr. Stephanie Bush at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. And those wee little ears? They're actually fins that the little adorabilis uses to steer.
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Behold the creature and its habits in the video below, a teaser to Science Friday's launch of Cephalopod Week starting on June 19. We can only hope there's a lot more eight-limbed cuteness to come.
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