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" Adorable " belike is n’t the first adjective you ’d use to distinguish an octopus . But then again , mayhap you ’ve never fulfil a flyspeck octopus with big , beadlike heart and a pink , jellylike torso .
One life scientist , Stephanie Bush of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in California , has been tasked with giving just such an octopus its scientific name . She ’s come up with a moniker that suits the lovable critter well : " Opisthoteuthis adorabilis . " The diminutive cephalopod is " really cute , " Bushsaid in a late interview with Science Friday .
This tiny pink octopus could one day be named Opisthoteuthis adorabilis.
The octopus would n’t be the first animal named for its lovely qualities . There ’s already aLophornis adorabilis , or lily-white - topknotted coquette — a rather sweet - seem species of hummingbird that also experience up to its scientific name . In fact , there are lots of cute ( and some not - so - precious ) critter out there whose names utterly match their physical characteristics . [ 7 Most misguide Animal Names ]
Here are a few of the most aptly mention fauna species :
Blobfish
There ’s no arguing thatthe blobfishlooks like , well , a blob . This droopy - faced , deep - ocean fish is found in the waters off Australia , Tasmania and New Zealand . Its scientific name , Psychrolutes marcidus , identifies the blobfish as a fellow member of the fish menage Psychrolutidae , or fathead sculpins . If the first part of this fish ’s name is n’t descriptive enough for you , consider this : The 2nd part of its name , marcidus , is Latin for " withered " or " wilted . " ( YouTube , Ugly Animal Preservation Society )
Dementor wasp
Oh , the delightfuldementor wasp(Ampulex dementor ) ! This fascinating flying louse was observe recently in the Greater Mekong region of Asia , and is named after the soulfulness - sucking prison house sentry go described in the " Harry Potter " book series . Like their fictional counterpart , dementor wasps are a forcefulness to be reckoned with , injecting their favored fair game ( cockroaches ) with a paralyzing spite before drag out the immobilize repast away and consume it . ( Image credit : Michael Ohl / Museum fur Naturkunde )
" Sparklemuffin "
Sparklemuffin may sound like one of the characters on the nipper ' show " My Little Pony , " but it ’s not . It ’s actually a nickname forMaratus jactatus , a coinage ofAustralian jumping spider . This affectionate name was given to the little arachnid because , well , it ’s kind of cute and rather sparkly . The wanderer has bluish and reddish chevron on its abdomen , and it do some reasonably off-the-wall dancing moves as a part of its mating rite . ( Image recognition : Jürgen Otto )
Purple Yoda
Yep , you register that right . There is an animal out there name after the " Star Wars " character Yoda , and that animal is purple . Yoda purpuratais a species of acorn worm that lives about 1.5 miles ( 2.4 klick ) below the aerofoil of the Atlantic Ocean . Its reddish - purple colouring is n’t very reminiscent of everyone ’s favorite Jedi Master , but its orotund lips ( located on either side of its head ) do resemble Yoda ’s endearingly floppy ears . ( Image Credit : David Shale )
Goblin shark
If , by some odd chance , you do n’t reckon sharks are very daunting , please have a gander at this specimen — Mitsukurina owstoni . The only extant member of the family Mitsukurinidae ( a shark family that dates back 125 million geezerhood ) , the so - called goblin shark is unremarkably seen in deep waters off the coast of Japan , though at least one has beenhauled onboard a fishing boatin the Gulf of Mexico . The creature ’s nail - like teeth and odd - look , elongate nozzle earn it its ominous moniker , though some attribute it a more benignant title : the elfin shark . ( Image course credit : Carl Moore )
Yeti crab
Not every terrible snowman , or abominable snowman , populate at the top of a freezing cold mountain . One yeti — the yeti crabby person — lives all the way at the bottom of the sea . This hirsute , eyeless critter was first discovered near the hydrothermal vents off the coast of Easter Island , in the southeastern Pacific Ocean . Theyeti crab ’s hirsute legs and bodysupport " garden " of bacteria , which the pediculosis pubis are believed to rely upon for livelihood . sound delicious , right ? ( Image Credit : NERC ChEsSo Consortium )
Dreadnoughtus
Like a monolithic sword warship imperviable to attack , Dreadnoughtus schranionce roll the grasslands of Patagonia . This jumbo , long - necked dinosaur was as improbable as a two - story firm and matter as much as 12 elephant . Its name , which entail " fear nothing , " was borrowed from the democratic appellation for 20th - century steel battleship , or dreadnaughts . But do n’t letDreadnoughtus’fearsome name scare you . For one matter , it ’s been nonextant for about 77 million year , and for another , this herbivorous sauropod dinosaur ate only plant . ( Image Credit : Mark A. Klingler | Carnegie Museum of Natural History )
genius - nosed mole
Nicknames do n’t get much more literal than the one bring uponCondylura cristata , or the star - nosed mole . This aptly named insectivore has a nozzle shaped like a superstar with 22 points . The brute ’s elaborated proboscis function as a speck organ , serve the mole feel its way around its environment to find the earthworms that it typically eats . The star - nosed mole ’s small eyes and tiny optic brass render it functionally unreasoning , but its lead - shaped snout allows it to situate and consume fair game quicker than any other mammal on the planet , according to a 2005 studypublished in the journal Nature . This critter can find and eat up a repast in as little as 120 msec . ( Screenshot , Live Science )
