Squid

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Transcript

00:00black

00:02although humans have known of the colossal squid, Misonicotheuthis hamiltoni since 1925

00:08this is the first confirmed live observation of one in its natural habitat

00:13researchers filmed the young colossal squid at nearly 600 meters depth near the South Sandwich Islands

00:19the young glass squid hovers steadily as its transparent body rotates slowly

00:24providing excellent views of the slender internal organs

00:27and large, highly reflective, iridescent eyes.

00:31Pairs of curved hooks are clearly visible

00:33on the clubs at the ends of the two long tentacles,

00:36and the clubs are long and slender,

00:38with relatively small hooks giving way to small suckers

00:40about two-thirds of the way along the club.

00:43Hooks are also present in the middle section

00:45of each of the eight arms,

00:47which is the defining feature for Misonica toothis

00:49and is the basis for the genus name,

00:51Miso meaning mid, Onico meaning hook,

00:54and toothis for squid.

00:56Large specimens of colossal squid

00:58do not resemble typical glass squids,

01:00but in this footage,

01:01their similarity to other family members is clear.

01:04The red coloration of the arms

01:06and large rust-red chromatophores on the mantle

01:08suggest that the animal can switch

01:10between transparent and opaque.

01:14Witnessing this first encounter,

01:16documented as the Schmidt Ocean Institute's

01:18remotely operated vehicle Sebastian

01:20descended through the water column,

01:22is truly a thrilling experience.

01:25I'm Dr. Kat Bolstad,

01:27from the AUT Lab for Cephalopod Ecology and Systematics

01:30at Auckland University of Technology.

01:32from the AUT Lab for Cephalopod Ecology

01:33from the AUT Lab for Cephalopod Ecology.