A team of deep-sea scientists using robots discovered a brooding squid cradling around 30 to 40 unusually large translucent eggs, approximately 11.6 millimeters in diameter, at a depth of over 1,800 feet (3,280 feet) near the Nova Canton Trough in the Gulf of California.
The findings were published last month, drawing attention to the unique video.
The squid's bioluminescence, produced by specialized photophores, is believed to be used for dazzling prey, and the photophores on this particular squid were the largest known.
The research team concluded that the squid belongs to a previously unknown species, likely of the Cranchiidae or Gonatidae (armhook squid) family, based on the relatively large size of the eggs compared to other squids and the number of eggs carried.
The brooding behavior, where the mother squid won't eat and perishes after the eggs hatch, is a protective adaptation, and the newly discovered squid species might have a longer brooding time due to the size of the eggs, potentially taking almost four years to develop and hatch.
This discovery highlights the diverse ways animals adapt to the challenges of living in environments with limited resources and high predation rates.
Only 25% of the seafloor has been identified and mapped, while oceans cover 70% of the planet.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: livescience.com, twistedsifter.com, thesun.co.uk, gizmodo.com, divephotoguide.com, petapixel.com, thenational-somaliland.com, divemagazine.com, sacbee.com, theclevelandamerican.com, thesun.ie, dailymail.co.uk, thedebrief.org, sciencealert.com