Using microCT to scan what might be the cutest sample ever, researchers digitally explored a tiny deep-sea octopus from the Galápagos Islands—without making a single cut. The non-destructive scans ultimately helped identify an entirely new species: Microeledone galapagensis, a small blue octopus from the deep Pacific Ocean.
When scientists first observed and collected the specimen using a remotely operated deep-sea vehicle, they faced a difficult challenge: how do you study a potentially new species when you only have one incredibly rare and delicate sample?
Traditionally, anatomical analysis in zoology often requires dissection—an approach that can permanently damage or destroy delicate samples. Instead, the research team turned to microCT (X-ray computed tomography), using non-destructive 3D imaging to digitally explore the octopus internally without cutting it open.
The result was the identification of a completely new species: Microeledone galapagensis, a small blue octopus from the deep Pacific Ocean.
Preserving a Rare Specimen While Revealing Internal Anatomy
The octopus measured only a few centimeters long and represented an exceptionally rare find from the deep eastern tropical Pacific. Because the specimen was unique, preserving it intact was critically important.
In an interview with CNN Science, Janet Voight, the first author of the study stated, “If you make the wrong cut or tear something, it’s gone forever. The cost of going to sea is just astronomical, and the chances of finding another one and successfully collecting it are just not high.”2
Using microCT, researchers generated high-resolution 3D reconstructions of the animal’s internal anatomy, allowing them to visualize structures such as:
- The posterior salivary gland
- Digestive tract
- Brain and optic lobes
- Buccal mass (the muscular feeding structure that houses its beak)
- Reproductive structures
- Internal tissue organization
The scans also enabled virtual cross-sections and volumetric renderings that would have been difficult—or impossible—to achieve with conventional dissection alone. Figures within the study show detailed reconstructed views of the digestive system, salivary glands, ovary, and beak morphology derived directly from the CT dataset.
Why microCT Was Essential
The researchers specifically noted that modern non-destructive imaging methods are becoming increasingly valuable for documenting rare marine organisms. In this case, microCT allowed them to:
- Preserve the specimen for future research
- Analyze internal anatomy in 3D
- Compare morphology with related octopus species
- Identify taxonomically important structures
- Support classification of a previously unknown species
The study demonstrated that features such as gland size, beak morphology, arm structure, and internal organ arrangement could all be characterized using CT-based visualization techniques.
More Than Just Pretty Pictures
This work highlights an important evolution in X-ray imaging: microCT is no longer limited to materials science and industrial inspection. It is increasingly becoming a critical tool for biological discovery, digital preservation, and museum-quality specimen analysis.
For rare or irreplaceable samples, non-destructive imaging can provide an ideal balance between detailed investigation and long-term preservation.
Applications of microCT in biological sciences now include:
- Species identification and taxonomy
- Skeletal and soft tissue visualization
- Fossil analysis
- Developmental biology
- Comparative anatomy
- Museum specimen digitization
In the case of Microeledone galapagensis, microCT helped researchers peer inside an organism from one of the least explored ecosystems on Earth—without destroying the very specimen they were trying to understand.
A Digital Window into the Deep Sea
The discovery also underscores how little we still know about deep-sea biodiversity. The researchers note that the eastern tropical Pacific remains poorly studied for deep-water species, and advanced imaging tools may accelerate future discoveries.
Jim Barry, senior scientist at Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in California, said in an interview with CNN Science, “Climate change is penetrating the deep sea, that is changing some of the systems in the deep sea and ecosystems in the deep sea before we even really know what’s there.”2
As imaging technology continues to improve, techniques like microCT are enabling scientists to investigate delicate biological systems in entirely new ways—transforming physical specimens into rich digital datasets that can be explored, shared, and preserved for generations.
MicroCT at Covalent
From advanced materials characterization to delicate biological specimens, microCT continues to unlock new ways of seeing the unseen. At Covalent, we offer high-resolution 2D X-ray and microCT services for non-destructive 3D analysis across a wide range of applications—and yes, we’d be more than happy to help characterize samples that aren’t necessarily cute as well.
References:
- Voight et al., “A new species of Microeledone from Galápagos Islands and an amended diagnosis of the Megaleledonidae,” Zootaxa (2026).
- Morris, A. (2026, May 27). Tiny blue octopus discovered near the Galápagos Islands is a newly identified species. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/27/science/tiny-blue-octopus-species