Scientists were cruising off the coast of southern California in the Exploration Vessel Nautilus when they came across a googly-eyed, cartoony-looking squid on the seafloor.
“They look like googly eyes… It looks so fake!” one of the researchers can be heard exclaiming in the video. “It's like some little kid dropped their toy.”
It may look like something straight out of the Pokémon universe, but it’s actually a species called stubby squid (Rossia pacifica). Despite the name, this species is more closely related to cuttlefish. These cephalopods are typically found in the North Pacific between Japan and Southern California at depths of around 300 meters (985 feet), although there have been sightings as deep as 1,300 meters (4,260 feet). These strange little beasts can also change color to camouflage themselves.
This sighting was around a depth of 900 meters (2,950 feet) using the E/V Nautilus’ remotely operated vehicle, Hercules. You’ll be able to catch more live-streamed discoveries from this expedition on the Nautilus Live website.
