#sepiolid

Even the cutest of creatures can wake up on the wrong side of the bed!

This grouchy-looking bobtail squid was found during our Northeast U.S. Canyons expedition in 2013. Cephalopod expert Michael Vecchione shared this information about bobtail squids (order Sepiolida) back in 2018: “Because of their rounded bodies, sepiolids are generally known as ‘bobtail squids.’ Although called squids, bobtails have long been considered to be modified cuttlefishes that have lost the internal shell (cuttlebone). However, recent evidence from DNA sequencing indicates that they are not closely related to either squids or cuttlefishes, although they are in the broad group of 10-armed cephalopods.”

Bobtail squids (order Sepiolida) are cephalopod mollusks, closely related to cuttelfish. They are found in shallow coastal waters. Some species are bioluminescent.

If you're trying to hide at night, you're probably going to be working against the moon. But the Hawaiian bobtail squid? This gorgeous creature works with the moon, using a glowing bacteria to create one of the coolest symbiotic relationships in nature.

The Hawaiian bobtail squid is a nocturnal animal that lives off the coastal waters of the Hawaiian islands.

During the day, it burrows itself in the sand to rest and avoid capture.

But the sand can't protect it at night, when it goes out to hunt. Since it lives in such shallow waters, the light of the moon would normally illuminate the squid as it hunted, making it difficult for the tiny animal to sneak up on its prey.

The moonlight also makes it a glowing target for larger animals looking for a snack...

NAUTILUS LIVE:  Googly-eyed Stubby Squid

The NAUTILUS team spotted this Stubby Squid aka Bobtail Squid off the coast of California at a depth of 900 meters (2,950 feet). The stubby squid (Rossia pacifica) looks like a cross between an octopus and squid, but is more closely related to cuttlefish.

This species spends life on the seafloor, activating a sticky mucus jacket and burrowing into the sediment to camouflage, leaving their eyes poking out to spot prey like shrimp and small fish. Rossia pacifica is found in the Northern Pacific from Japan to Southern California, most commonly seen up to 300m deep, but specimens have been collected at 1000m depth. E/V Nautilus is exploring the ocean studying biology, geology, archeology, and more.

Watch http://www.nautiluslive.org for live video from the ocean floor.

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