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Scientists spot bright purple googly-eyed squid on Southern California ocean floor

Saturday, August 20th 2016 - 06:06 UTC
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The animal looks like a cross between a squid and an octopus but is closely related to a cuttlefish, according to the Nautilus Live website. The animal looks like a cross between a squid and an octopus but is closely related to a cuttlefish, according to the Nautilus Live website.
“In addition to the googly-eyed cuteness, there is one thing biologically interesting about this observation,” said cephalopod expert Michael Vecchione “In addition to the googly-eyed cuteness, there is one thing biologically interesting about this observation,” said cephalopod expert Michael Vecchione

Scientists scanning the rocky ocean floor off Southern California have spotted a bright purple, googly-eyed stubby squid. The creature, a stubby squid, was discovered by the Exploration Vessel Nautilus team after they placed a camera on a remote-operated vehicle and came across the iridescent cephalopod with giant round eyes.

 The animal looks like a cross between a squid and an octopus but is closely related to a cuttlefish, according to the Nautilus Live website. They spend their life on the sea floor, buried in the sediment to camouflage, using their big eyes to spot their prey.

“In addition to the googly-eyed cuteness, there is one thing biologically interesting about this observation,” said cephalopod expert Michael Vecchione of the Smithsonian Institution. The creature could be a new species, he wrote in an email to the expedition.

It was spotted at nearly 3,000 feet deep, which is unusual, but not unheard of. But, on top of that, the stubby squid did not have chromatophores, cells that allow it to change color, as members of its species do, Vecchione said.

The question cannot be answered because this particular stubby squid remains deep in the ocean, out of scientists’ reach.

The Nautilus team is part of a four-month Ocean Exploration Trust expedition to map underwater fault zones from Canada to California and understand ecosystems around them.

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  • EscoSes Doido

    Name it the 'Marty Feldman' squid.

    Aug 20th, 2016 - 12:32 pm 0
  • Eilean Siar

    @1

    When they looked closer, they found its name on the underside - ' Hasbro' ; )

    Aug 20th, 2016 - 01:10 pm 0
  • Marti Llazo

    It appears to be the illegitimate offspring of one of California's former governors.

    Aug 20th, 2016 - 01:53 pm 0
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