In brief
On Christmas Day 2024, scientists aboard the R/V Falkor (Too) captured live video of the Antarctic gonate squid, a rarely seen species known previously only through remains. This discovery offers new insights into deep-sea life.
On Christmas Day 2024, an extraordinary event unfolded in the depths of the Southern Ocean as researchers aboard the R/V Falkor (Too) witnessed the live sighting of the Antarctic gonate squid (Gonatus antarcticus), a species that had only been identified through remains found in fishing nets or ingested by seabirds. The crew was initially set to deploy their remotely operated vehicle, SuBastian, in a more stable area of the Powell Basin. However, shifting ice compelled them to adjust their course to the outer regions.As the submersible descended over 7,000 feet, a shadow materialized on the live feed, revealing itself to be a three-foot-long Antarctic gonate squid, which astonishingly emitted a green cloud of ink when startled. "It was a stunning sight," remarked Andrew Thurber, a deep-sea researcher from the University of California, Santa Barbara, who participated in the expedition. He emphasized the sheer beauty of deep-ocean animals, calling this squid a quintessential example.Prior to this event, no Antarctic gonate squid had ever been observed alive, making this sighting particularly significant. The team followed the squid for a short duration, capturing footage that showcased its distinctive red body and white spots. Linsey Sala, a museum scientist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, expressed her excitement over the discovery. She noted that such videos are invaluable for understanding the lifestyle of creatures inhabiting extreme depths and could help classify unaccounted specimens that might exist in various collections globally.Overall, this remarkable finding not only adds to our knowledge of deep-sea ecosystems but also ignites interest in the mysteries still lurking beneath the ocean's surface.
