Nature

Cute Squid Has Scientists Gasping with Excitement [WATCH]

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Tony Maples Photography

 

Can you believe that such an adorable purple sea creature actually exists? Nautilus Live, a team of scientists who search the ocean floor for curiosities, recorded this rare squid last week, and their reaction was rather cute as well.

While the team enjoyed their precious discovery off of the California coast, they reported that the creature is called a Stubby Squid, and it’s closely related to the cuttlefish. They wrote on their website, “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.”

This particular Stubby Squid was found around 2,950 feet deep in the water. The creatures are typically “found in the Northern Pacific from Japan to Southern California up to 300 meters, but in addition to our sighting, researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) have spotted them at depths of 1,300 meters (4,260 ft).”

Many of the ocean’s inhabitants look absolutely terrifying, so it’s fun to celebrate this cute find by Nautilus Live. Their Instagram feed can induce nightmares for those who fear what’s lurking in the sea, but it can also provide some amazing insight into a mysterious world.