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June 15, 2021: Squid

This squid, seen during the Gulf of Mexico 2018 expedition, had many researchers stumped. It was in a strange posture and was damaged; its long tentacles were missing and the ventral arms were mostly gone.

Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Gulf of Mexico 2018. Download larger version (jpg, 711 KB).

This squid, seen during the Gulf of Mexico 2018 expedition, had many researchers stumped. It was in a strange posture and was damaged; its long tentacles were missing and the ventral arms were mostly gone. The current best guess is that it was Discoteuthis discus, in the family Cycloteuthidae. However, that species has never previously been observed alive, and therefore it is unknown if this behavior in a contorted posture is indicative of this species.

From: Squids and More from Dive 04: Associating Names with Video Observations Requires Careful Consideration.