Ghoulish, blood-red squid spotted with ominous hooks prowls the Antarctic ocean's abyssal zone in groundbreaking footage
Deep-sea explorers have finally laid eyes on a rare species of squid living its mysterious life 7,060 feet beneath the Antarctic waters. According to National Geographic, the elusive Antarctic gonate squid (Gonatus antarcticus) was caught on camera for the first time ever on December 25, 2024.
An international team of researchers, as part of a "Perpetual Planet" expedition, used a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) operated by the Schmidt Ocean Institute's research vessel, the R/V Falkor, to capture breathtaking footage of the vibrant, blood-red creature in the Southern Ocean's midnight zone. While this squid species has been known for more than a century, previous sightings were limited to dead specimens or remains inside the stomachs of other animals.
The observed squid was an impressive three feet long, weighing approximately 30 pounds. It appeared to be in good condition, given its striking coloration. One of the most intriguing aspects of the squid was the large hooks on the tips of its tentacles, likely used for capturing prey during an ambush-like predation strategy.
As the ROV approached, the squid released a puff of green ink, a common defense mechanism in cephalopods. The researchers followed the squid for a short while before it darted off into the darkness. Unfortunately, they couldn't determine the sex or age of the creature.
Kat Bolstad, head of the Lab for Cephalopod Ecology and Systematics at Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand, confirmed the identity of the squid based on the tentacle hooks. Scientists are excited about the new insights this discovery brings into the life cycle, behavior, and ecological role of the Antarctic gonate squid in the Southern Ocean.
This find is reminiscent of the elusive colossal squid, which was finally captured on camera in 2007, more than a century after its initial discovery. Life continues to surprise us in the darkest corners of our planet.
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