  We employ the Monte-Carlo Basin-Hopping (MC-BH) global optimisation technique
with inter- atomic pair potentials to generate low-energy candidates of
stoichiometric alumina octomers ((Al$_2$O$_3$)$_8$). The candidate structures
are subsequently refined with density functional theory calculations employing
hybrid functionals (B3LYP and PBE0) and a large basis set (6-311+G(d))
including a vibrational analysis. We report the discovery of a set of
energetically low-lying alumina octomer clusters, including a new global
minimum candidate, with shapes that are elongated rather than spherical. We
find a stability limit for these and smaller-sized clusters at a temperature of
$T\simeq1300-1450$ K corresponding to a phase transition in liquid alumina.
