Cockatoo Squid

Last month, a cockatoo squid was spotted by the ROV Global Explorer at a depth of ~527m in the Gulf of Alaska. This squid is from the family Cranchiidae and its chic pompadour is actually the animal’s arms and tentacles folded back over its head. Like octopuses and other cephalopods, the cockatoo squid is equipped with chromatophores (pigment-carrying cells) that allow the animal to change colour and reflect traces of light. Amazing likeness to our local fauna!

Cockatoo Squid: Gulf of Alaska Seamounts 2019

It's a cockatoo squid (Cranchiidae)! Filmed by the Global Explorer remotely operated vehicle at 527 meters (1,729 feet) depth along the Gulf of Alaska continental slope during the Gulf of Alaska Seamounts 2019 expedition. Pretty, huh?For more from this expedition, visit: https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/19gulfofalaska/logs/logs.html

Posted by NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research on Thursday, August 1, 2019