Video: Deep-Sea Researchers Encounter Adorably Cute Squid

Researchers onboard the E/V Nautilus came across a strange, but adorable, sight while scanning California’s deep sea floor with Hercules, an undersea remotely operated vehicle (ROV).

At around 2,950 feet, the team spotted a purple blob with cartoonishly large eyes staring up from the bottom. The amused scientists excitedly discussed its googly eyes while moving in for a closer look. “They look like they’re painted on,” one of the researchers observes in the video (which you can see above). “It looks so fake,” laughs another. “It’s like some little kid dropped their toy.”

Though the team puzzled over the cute cephalopod’s identity with guesses of octopus, squid and “cuddle-fish,” it has now been identified as a stubby squid (Rossia pacifica).

This bottom-dwelling species is found in the northern Pacific between Japan and Southern California. While stubby squid are often found at 1,000 feet, they have been found as deep as 3,000 feet.

These squid camouflage themselves by using a sticky mucus jacket and burrowing into the sand, leaving only their eyes exposed to keep a look out for shrimp and small fish.

Nautilus researchers transmit their ROV feeds live so that scientists, students and the general public can engage in underwater exploration with them simultaneously. This new high-speed, real-time link to scientists and citizens provides a way to share the thrill of discovery.

To learn more about the E/V Nautilus and to watch the live stream yourself go to nautiluslive.org.

Want to see more amazing deep-dwelling creatures? Check out this video of crabs swarming on the ocean floor.