Japetella is a genus of pelagic octopods from the subfamily Bolitaeninae in the family Amphitretidae.

[2] Japetella diaphana inhabits the oxygen minimum zone of the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.

[3] It is a species of midwater octopus which is relatively abundant in the Gulf of Mexico compared to the Monterey Bay.

It has been proposed that the female octopus uses the ring to communicate with the opposite gender, perhaps to attract the male to mate.

The female's bioluminescent ring may be of a specific wavelength, to prevent miscommunication and predator attraction.