Watch an Amazing 'Ghost Octopus' Discovered in the Deep Sea

National Geographic lets you Watch an Amazing 'Ghost Octopus' Discovered in the Deep Sea "The deep sea just got a little spookier with the discovery of a ghostly octopod off the Hawaiian archipelago. A remotely operated vehicle with the Okeanos Explorer, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ship, captured the pale cephalopod swimming slowly about 2.6 miles (4.3 kilometers) deep."

For one, the octopus has very few muscles, and is almost gelatinous in consistency. This is likely because there's little food in the deep sea, and it takes a lot of energy to build muscles. (See 'Huge Swarm of Gelatinous Sea Creatures Imaged in 3-D.') 

What's more, its wraith-like appearance is due to a total lack of pigment cells, or chromatophores, which are useless in the dark depths. But the newfound creature's tiny eyes are probably functional, Vecchione says."