Scientists in California have the honor of naming a species of octopus. And as is often the case, they will probably use its most distinguishing characteristic to help come up with a name.

(Think pterodactyl, or “winged fingers.”)

Except in this case, its most distinguishing characteristic is just how darn cute it is.

Stephanie Bush, a postdoctoral fellow at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, said her team is working on putting together a formal scientific description of the species. The team who puts together the description also gets to name it.

“One of the thoughts I had was making it Opisthoteuthis Adorabilis – because it’s really cute,” Bush said.

The octopus has been described as a cross between a Pac-Man ghost and a Pokemon creature. 

It’s also related to the pink “flapjack” octopus in the movie, “Finding Nemo.”

So it’s only a matter of time before Adorabilis is ready for its close-up. 

>>If you're on mobile, click here to watch a video about the octopus.