This Squidtember, the people at OceanX are commemorating the amazing abilities of these complex organisms, giving squids their due. They are true ocean marvels since they can swim faster than any other invertebrate, glow in the dark, and survive at extreme depths.
According to OceanX, “OceanX has a long history of revealing the hidden lives of squid, from capturing the first-ever footage of the legendary giant squid in its natural habitat, igniting a worldwide sensation, to conducting the first ever sub dives into the hunting grounds of the Humboldt squid in Chile for Blue Planet II, to catching footage of the elusive giant purple back flying squid 2,788 feet deep in the Red Sea.”
Let’s have a look at some of the most amazing footage of these amazing aquatic species that have been recorded over the years, including the large, the very small, and the highly skilled.
Say hello to the strawberry squid, also referred to as the cockeyed squid because of its asymmetrical, variably sized, and colored eyes. The peepers of the infant berries begin identically, but as they grow, the left one balloon is twice as large as the right one and grows a yellow lens. The distinction is caused by the fact that they must alternate looking up and down to detect prospective predators and prey in the shadows and lights.
Speaking of amazing squids would be incomplete without mentioning the enormous, both in size and nature. These enormous creatures can reach lengths of 12 to 14 meters and can be found at 1,000 meters (3,280 ft) below the surface (39 to 46 feet). They attack and eat big fish using their suckers and hooks down in the dark depths. Sounds quite frightening, doesn’t it? However, OceanX managed to tag one in some way.
In relation to deep marine creatures, a purple back flying squid recently interrupted an investigation into the Pella, a ferry that sank in 2011 after taking fire. When their scanning equipment discovered a seafloor anomaly, they had no idea what they were looking for, and when they arrived at it, they saw the shipwreck and a massive Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis.
The Pacific and Indian oceans are home to purpleback flying squids, which are distinguishable by a big yellow light organ that is visible in larger individuals. This one measures about 2 meters (6 feet) in length and ranges in size from midget to enormous. They prefer swimming in the open ocean and can dive to depths of about 1,000 meters (3,280 feet). Every day at night, they will surface to feed closer to the surface.
