Argonaut octopus found by fisherman off California’s shores (VIDEO)

An Argonaut octopus was scooped up by fisherman in the coastal waters off Los Angeles Thursday.

The rare Argonaut is usually found in the tropics but is making its way north due to warmer ocean currents during autumn.

Southern California has rarely seen the octopus in its waters, but temperatures have been unusually warm lately, which likely attracted the sea creature from its tropical home, said UPI.

"This was an example of an animal that was brought to us by a warm current that peeled off and was brought very close to shore," aquarium director Mike Schaadt at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, where the octopus is being kept, reported NBC News.

Argonauts used their unique shell to remain buoyant in water unlike their bottom-feeding octopus cousins that lurk at the bottom of the ocean floor or among rocks.

They have an octopus' characteristic eight tentacles and a rounded body shape.

Yet, oddly, they reside in their shell that looks like the helmet of a Spartan soldier.

Argonauts can also change color when they feel threatened.

Apparently, the lost Argonaut is doing fine and is happy exploring his new home.

"A couple of times, it's reached out its tentacles and explored around the tank, touching the different walls, especially if we have food sitting on the bottom of the tank. It seems like it's smelling the water," Kiersten Darrow, the aquarium's research curator told OurAmazingPlanet.

The Argonaut will be released back in the wild once it shows an interest in hunting fish and shrimp again.

The octopus' name derives from the Greek word for sailor, "nautilus," and "Argo" which was an ancient vessel used by Jason and his companions who sought the golden fleece.