The Dumbo Octopus (Grimpotheuthis discoveryi) is a species of pelagic umbrella octopus that lives in the deep sea. They get their name from the prominent ear-like fins which characteristically protrude from the mantle just above the eyes, giving a vague resemblance to the ears of Walt Disney's flying elephant Dumbo. They feed on crustaceans, bivalves, worms and copepods. Their average life span is 3 to 5 years, and natural predators include sharks and predatory cephalopods. Dumbo octopuses do not have an ink sack and therefore, they change colors and size due to their chromatophore cells that helps them protect themselves from predators. Some color changes can be red, white, pink, brown, or they become an invisible color so that they can blend in with the ocean floor.
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