An adorable piglet squid was recently spotted in its natural habitat deep in the Pacific Ocean by a team of passing researchers.
The curious creature was captured on camera by the E/V Nautilus team while they were exploring the Palmyra Atoll earlier this month.
Encountering the squid at a depth of 4,500 feet (1,385 meters), the team paused to savor the moment with the charming marine animal.
The curious piglet squid, as pictured, was captured on camera by the E/V Nautilus team while they were exploring the Palmyra Atoll earlier this month.
Researchers spotted the creature at 4,500 feet (1385 meters) and took a moment to appreciate the encounter with the small marine animal.
The Nautilus team, from the non-profit organization Ocean Exploration Trust, utilized a Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle (ROV) to get a close-up view.
The see-through piglet squid (Helicocranchia sp.) derives its name from its prominent siphon, which resembles a snout.
The Nautilus team, representing the non-profit organization Ocean Exploration Trust, employed a Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle (ROV) to obtain a close-up encounter with the tiny squid, as depicted in the image.
The experts who discovered the squid explained, “Squids, like other cephalopods, move using a structure called a siphon to pull and push the surrounding water, functioning akin to a jet pump.”
The chance encounter took place at the remote Palmyra Atoll, situated 1,000 miles south of Hawaii.
The researchers explained that the animals are capable of regulating buoyancy with an ammonia-filled internal chamber. They described the stunning squid as often being observed with its tentacles flared above its head.
They further elaborated that squids, like other cephalopods, move using a structure called a siphon to pull and push the surrounding water, functioning similarly to a jet pump.
The specific cephalopod, Helicocranchia pfefferi, known as the piglet squid, earned its name due to the enlarged siphon resembling a snout.
The team added that the squid is often observed with its tentacles flared above its head, resembling a wild hairdo or, as one team member described it, reindeer antlers.
The researchers who spotted the squid noted, “[The animals are] able to regulate buoyancy with an ammonia-filled internal chamber. This stunning squid is often observed with its tentacles flared above its head.”
The team utilized a Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle (ROV), as depicted in the image, to explore deep waters. During their expedition, they stumbled upon the close encounter with the piglet squid.
Pictured: E/V Nautilus research ship. The expedition stumbled upon the animal by chance while using their remote-controlled oceanic explorer.
