Below is a magnificent video of a rare deep-sea hooked squid, Taningia danae, caught on camera at 1km down in the North Pacific's Samoan Passage. Researchers from the University of Western Australia and Kelpie Geosciences spotted the beautiful creature using cameras with bait on them they lowered to great depths.
According to the University, "The deep-sea hooked squid is one of the largest deep-water squid and is renowned for having two very large photophores on the end of two of its arms, which produce bright bioluminescent flashes to startle and disorientate prey when hunting. These are the largest known photophores in the natural world."
Previously, most encounters are with dead specimens that were stranded, accidentally caught by fishers, or inside of a deceased whale.
"The squid, which was about 75cm long, descended on our camera assuming it was prey, and tried to startle it with is huge bioluminescent headlights," said associate professor Heather Stewart. "It then proceeded to wrap its arms around one of other cameras which in turn captured the encounter in even greater detail. I think we were very lucky to have witnessed this."
Previously: Delightful deepsea encounter with a wildly cute and weird piglet squid
