Deep Water Octopus in the Gulf of Mexico

A brilliant red octopus photographed at more than 8,800 feet (about 2,700 meters) in the Gulf of Mexico.
(I. MacDonald (in Gulf of Mexico–Origins, Waters, and Biota. Vol. 1. Biodiversity. Felder, D. L. and Camp, D. K. (eds.) 2009. Texas A&M Press.))

This brilliant red octopus (Benthoctopus sp.) was photographed at more than 8,800 feet (about 2,700 meters) in Alaminos Canyon in the Gulf of Mexico. See more photos of wild creatures encountered during the Census of Marine Life.