Let's call him "Henry the Hexa-Hopeful Monster".

(and see Richard Goldschmidt, evolutionary biology).

Mike Gorman, Andover, USA/New Hampshire

Rather than a birth defect, what this could be solid, hard proof that evolution can happen suddenly and dramatically in a creature as well as incrementaly over eons.

It's been hypothesized that sometimes evolution results from a "fully functional mutation" that does NOT harm a creature in any way.

Judging from the picture, and the comments of the keepers, this creature is indeed very normal acting. It just lacks two arms.

Birth Defects are DEFECTS in every way. They harm a creature. Often affected creatures die in infancy if they are born/hatched at all.

This is NO birth defect. It's too perfect an alteration.

John morales, harker heights, usa, tx

Wow, this is amazing, very amazing. I`m very well indeed impressed with this new discovery that this kind of octopus/hexapus was discovered. I`m very interested in this kind of discovery because i`m studying marine biology. If anybody can only imagine if there were more of these six-legged creatures or any other new creatures from the sea that we`ve never discovered before, that would would be very extraodinary. Personally, I would describe it as awe-inspiring. This is very educational and interesting, especially for those who are studying marine biology. I`m definately looking forward to meeting this creature up close and face-to-face so that I can learn alot more about this magnificent mollusk.

philip, jersey city, new jersey, united states