In brief
On Christmas Day, researchers discovered the elusive Antarctic gonate squid, a significant leap in our understanding of deep-sea life.
In a remarkable breakthrough for marine biology, an expedition in the Southern Ocean has recorded the first live video of the Antarctic gonate squid (Gonatus antarcticus), a rare species of deep-sea cephalopod. This momentous event took place on Christmas Day 2024 as part of the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Expedition aboard the R/V Falkor (Too), operated by the Schmidt Ocean Institute.Glimpses of bizarre deep-sea creatures like giant sea spiders and phantom jellyfish are often met with skepticism, as many are only known through their remains found in fishing nets or the stomachs of predators. However, the team encountered a series of unexpected events that led them to uncover the long-sought living specimen of this elusive squid.The crew planned to deploy the remotely operated vehicle SuBastian at the Powell Basin but had to navigate away from ice blocks obstructing their path. Upon descending 7,000 feet, the operators noticed a shadowy figure on their live feed, which turned out to be the Antarctic gonate squid. This three-foot-long cephalopod was visually striking, exuding a green ink cloud as it swam."This was a stunning squid," remarked Andrew Thurber, deep-sea researcher with the University of California, Santa Barbara, who participated in the expedition. He noted that the deep ocean holds intrinsic beauty and this squid exemplified that wonder.In an unprecedented event, the team closely followed the squid for several minutes while capturing its dramatic red hues and distinctive white spots on video. According to Linsey Sala, a museum scientist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, such footage is deeply valuable as it can significantly enhance our understanding of these creatures' lives in the depth of the ocean. Furthermore, she highlighted the possibility that unidentified cephalopod specimens might exist in collections worldwide, hence video evidence could vitalize ongoing research.
