This squid had many researchers stumped. It was in a strange posture and was damaged; its long tentacles were missing and the ventral arms were mostly gone. The current best guess is that it belongs to the species Discoteuthis discus in the family Cycloteuthidae. However, that species has never previously been observed alive, and therefore it is unknown if this behavior in a contorted posture is common in this species.
Squid
Image courtesy of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Gulf of Mexico 2018.
This squid had many researchers stumped. It was in a strange posture and was damaged; its long tentacles were missing and the ventral arms were mostly gone. The current best guess is that it belongs to the species Discoteuthis discus in the family Cycloteuthidae. However, that species has never previously been observed alive, and therefore it is unknown if this behavior in a contorted posture is common in this species. Download larger version (jpg, 680 KB).
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