August 18, 2016 at 2:44 am

This Might Be the Cutest Squid in the Ocean

by twistedsifter

 

The E/V Nautilus team spotted this Stubby Squid (Rossia pacifica) off the coast of California at a depth of 900 meters (2,950 feet).

The stubby squid looks like a cross between an octopus and squid, but is more closely related to cuttlefish. This species spends life on the seafloor, activating a sticky mucus jacket and burrowing into the sediment to camouflage, leaving their eyes poking out to spot prey like shrimp and small fish.

Rossia pacifica is found in the Northern Pacific from Japan to Southern California up to 300m, but in addition to our sighting, researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) have spotted them at depths of 1,300 m (4,260 ft). [source]

 

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