A rare octopus with “Dumbo ears” was seen more than 1.6km beneath the Pacific Ocean’s surface near the Hawaiian islands.

Scientists spotted the octopus on a seamount in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument just north-west of Hawaii.

A near two-minute video released by Ocean Exploration Trust and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows the octopus floating, ghost-like, amid a dark blue background

As it gently cruises, it flaps the two, distinctive large fins on its mantle that protrude like ears resembling those on Disney’s fictional flying elephant, Dumbo.

“It’s very white... That is a beautiful octopod,” one of the scientists watching the video feed can be heard commenting.

“I’ve never seen one like this... moving like this... That is a wonderful view,” another scientist says.

Dumbo octopuses are the deepest-living octopuses known, according to National Geographic. They can live in depths of up to 3.9km below the ocean’s surface.

Their diet consists of snails, worms and other creatures that live near the ocean floor.

These octopuses often use their ear-like fins to propel themselves through the water and their arms for steering.

Unlike other octopuses, they do not have an ink sac because they have few predators in the depths they inhabit.

The Dumbo octopus captured on the E/VNautilus live stream had another rare quality: It was larger than most of its species. It was about 61cm long, much larger than the average length of 15cm to 30cm.