Tipping Point, Glass Octopus 

Very rarely encountered, the elusive glass octopus (Vitreledonella richardi) is considered one of the least studied cephalopods. Information on this species has been gathered by scientists who have managed to obtain specimens in the stomachs of predators. Glass octopus can be found in the mesopelagic, or twilight zone (about 200-1,000 meters below the ocean’s surface). They are relatively small, reaching up to 11 cm in mantle length and up to 45 cm when measuring the tentacles. The ability to be almost completely transparent is how this creature got its name, with only its optic nerve, eyeballs, and digestive tract visible. Its eyes are a cylindrical shape that may have evolved to minimize the silhouette of its eyes as seen from above, making it more difficult for predators to spot them. Like its relatives, the glass octopus eats crustaceans such as mollusks and snails.

Tipping Point, Glass Octopus, 2022, plexiglass, wood base, 24 x 24 x 24", Original image courtesy of Schmidt Ocean Institute