Researchers Surprised When Rare Seven-Armed Octopus Washes Up In Scotland

Now here is something you don't see every day. Researchers were flabbergasted when they stumbled upon this ultra-rare discovery. A seven-armed octopus has washed up along a shore in Scotland and has everyone dumbfounded.

Researchers Surprised To Find A Seven-Armed Octopus In Scotland

The NY Post shares some of the details of this exciting, yet bizarre discovery. The outlet shared that the "remains of an ultra-rare seven-armed octopus washed ashore in Collieston, Scotland." Catriona Reid, manager of the Forvie National Nature Reserve, spoke about the discovery to the BBC. "These were something we clearly hadn't seen before," Reid admitted.

Apparently, the seven-armed octopus was spotted by a beachcomber. I can guarantee you that is not what they were expecting to find that day. After stumbling upon the baffling creature, the beachcomber alerted the reserve's staff - best to call in the professionals. When they arrived to inspect the ultra-rare creature, they realized its lack of an eighth arm wasn't the only interesting quality this animal possessed.

Additionally, researchers noted that the creature had a rather "large diameter and big suckers." Apparently, these suckers were "far too big for the common curled octopus" that is most commonly spotted in the area. So what does all of this mean?

What Is This Rare Seven-Armed Octopus?

With its abnormal number of arms and sucker size, researchers are debating what this creature actually is. Some speculated that it could be the elusive giant squid. However, after sending photographs to several institutions, the researchers confirmed that it is indeed a seven-armed octopus. If you didn't know that they existed, you are not alone. I had no idea either.

Although they are rare, this creature is not alone. The seven-armed octopus is also known as the blob octopus or septopus. The NY Post shares that "the mollusk is one of the largest octopuses on the planet." Livescience even shared that it is capable of reaching "lengths of around 11 feet long." Luckily, if the idea of encountering an 11-foot octopus terrifies you, you don't need to worry.

They typically reside in deep waters, approximately 1,640 feet below the surface. So, unless you are a mermaid, you probably won't encounter one of these rare giants anytime soon.