While studying hydrothermal vents in the Galapagos archipelago, a team of marine biologists from the Schmidt Institute of Oceanology managed to capture Video of a rare deep-sea squid, Grimalditeuthis bonplandi. This species is distinguished by weak tentacles without suckers, which are most likely used to attract prey.

Grimalditeuthis bonplandi was described in the 19th century from specimens extracted from the stomachs of sperm whales. Scientists managed to find a living specimen in its natural habitat only in 2005. Thus, the new video recording became the second high-quality filming of this cephalopod.

It is assumed that Grimalditeuthis bonplandi is distributed throughout the oceans at depths from 200 to 1500 meters. This type of squid is considered very small, since their body length is only about 25 centimeters. Unlike their relatives, they have long hunting tentacles that easily break off.

Judging by observations made in 2005, during the hunt, the squid hangs motionless in the water column and moves its tentacles, imitating the movement of small fish and worms, thus attracting prey, which is then grabbed with shorter “arms”.

In 2020, scientists from the Schmidt Institute of Oceanology noticed crab in a “suit” of coral polyps.

Anna Morozova