In the South Atlantic, some 2,000 feet beneath the waves, scientists finally spotted something that’s eluded humanity for over a century: a colossal squid. Only this one’s just a foot long because it’s a baby.
This past March, the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s underwater robot accidentally recorded the little cephalopod cherub. It was the first time anyone’s ever caught a colossal squid on camera in its natural habitat.
Until now, our relationship with these squids has mostly involved pulling partially digested ones out of whale stomachs, so it’s nice to meet one in its pre-chewed state.
Dr. Kat Bolstad, an associate professor at Auckland University of Technology, helped ID the baby colossal squid. She noted that, thanks to their giant eyes that are sensitive to light, colossal squid tend to be skittish around research equipment that is often bright and noisy. Instead of jetting away when threatened, they might just freeze, hoping you don’t notice it.
This squid was likely a juvenile from the Cranchiidae family, which also goes by the name “glass squid.” As it grows up, it’ll trade the translucent look for thick, opaque muscles and those signature giant plate eyes.
The moment of discovery was classic nerd cinema: Thom Linley, a curator at the Museum of New Zealand, spotted it while prepping for a dive. He snapped a terrible, pixelated photo and shot it off to Bolstad. She appropriately lost her mind in excitement. “She’s climbing the walls like, ‘Give me the high-res! GIVE ME THE HIGH-RES!’” he told NPR.
With the help of glass squid expert Aaron Evans, they were able to confirm it was indeed a colossal squid baby, thanks to its telltale features like hooks on its tentacles and the fact that it was found near Antarctica, the only place on Earth where colossal squid call home.
Considering filming this one baby colossal squid was the result of a whole lot of effort with a splash of luck mixed in, it could be a while before we capture footage of an adult. But just know that when we eventually do, it might just be the greatest day of the squid researcher’s life.
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