Spotted in the ocean depths a squid with a pig shape
An adorable squid has been spotted in the depth waters of the Pacific Ocean: a translucent squid with the shape of a pig. He was swimming at 1385 meters deep around the Palmyra atoll, and with his large and unusual siphon nose attracted the attention of the Ocean Exploration Trust researchers who were exploring the depths of the sea with a radio-controlled Rov.
Piglet squid, scientific name Helicocranchia pfefferi, takes its name from its unusual appearance. It is more "swollen" than an unusual squid and has a muzzle that resembles that of a pig.
"The squid, like the other cephalopods, swims using a structure called a siphon to pull and push the surrounding water like a jet pump," explain the researchers of the Ocean Exploration Trust who on May 10th undertook a shipment of six months aboard the Nautilus laboratory ship along the west coast of the United States and, for the first time, within the central Pacific, between Samoa and the US Territorial Islands.
The average size of a Helicocranchia pfefferi adult is about 10 centimeters, just like the one spotted. His body is a large funnel with small fins and a tentacle above the eyes. "They are able to regulate buoyancy thanks to an internal chamber full of ammonia, and these extraordinary squid are often observed with their tentacles flared above its head, as if gathered in a wild hairstyle". An unusual and adorable look for a so rare squid species.
