, May 25 -- Scientists have identified a new species of tiny blue octopus living nearly 6,000 feet beneath the ocean surface near the Galapagos Islands, adding to the region's long list of rare and unique wildlife.

The species, officially named Microeledone galapagensis, was described in the scientific journal Zootaxa after researchers confirmed it had never been recorded before.

The discovery traces back to a 2015 deep-sea expedition aboard the research vessel E/V Nautilus, conducted in cooperation with the Charles Darwin Foundation and the Galapagos National Park Directorate. Using a remotely operated underwater vehicle, scientists explored the seafloor near Darwin Island at the northern edge of the Galapagos archipelago.

At a depth ...