Rare Deep-Sea Squid Lights Up for the Camera

Researchers in the Pacific Ocean encountered a rare – and bright – octopus squid, a bioluminescent creature said to have the world’s largest biological lights. A team from the Minderoo-UWA Deep Sea Research Centre plunged a camera into the depths when a deep-sea hooked squid (Taningia danae) mistook the device for a snack.

“The squid, which was about 75 cm [2.5 feet] long, descended on our camera assuming it was prey, and tried to startle it with its huge bioluminescent headlights,” chief scientist Heather Stewart said in a University of Western Australia press release. “It then proceeded to wrap its arms around one of other cameras, which in turn captured the encounter in even greater detail. I think we were very lucky to have witnessed this.”

Lucky is right, as these squid are rarely seen alive in the wild (the first ever sighting was only 19 years ago, also via submersible camera). This one was caught on camera at about 3200 feet deep in the Samoan Passage, a deep underwater channel in the South Pacific Ocean.

This species of squid is known for two things: its colossal size (the largest specimen ever seen was 7.5 feet long) and its photophores, a pair of lights

on the ends of two arms that light up to disorient prey. These photophores are the largest known in the animal kingdom, but are exceedingly rare to observe in action.

“Many records of this species are from strandings, accidental bycatch or from the stomach contents of whales,” center director Alan Jamieson said. “The rarity of live observations of these amazing animals makes every encounter valuable in gathering information on geographic locations, depth, and behavior, plus it is such a unique animal that we hardly ever get to see, so we had to share it.”

The researchers share a video clip of the rare squid here.

Photo credit: UWA / Inkfish