Rare Antarctic Squid Captured on Video for the First Time in Its Natural Habitat

The polar deep-sea habitats host a variety of enigmatic marine creatures such as giant sea spiders, Antarctic sea pigs, and ghostly jellyfish. However, many of these species remain elusive, often known only from specimens caught in fishing gear or discovered in the stomachs of seabirds. On Christmas Day 2024, the research vessel R/V Falkor (Too), operated by the Schmidt Ocean Institute, made a groundbreaking observation by recording a live Antarctic gonate squid for the first time.

The expedition team had originally intended to deploy their remotely operated vehicle (ROV), SuBastian, at the Powell Basin. However, shifting ice floes redirected their exploration to the basin’s outer boundaries.

Descending to a depth of approximately 7,000 feet, the submersible’s camera unexpectedly revealed a shadowy figure on the live video feed. This turned out to be a three-foot-long Antarctic gonate squid, a rare cephalopod species, which released a greenish cloud of ink.

Andrew Thurber, a deep-sea scientist from the University of California, Santa Barbara, who was present during the dive, described the squid as “remarkably beautiful,” emphasizing that such moments highlight the ocean’s hidden splendor.

Prior to this sighting, no living Antarctic gonate squid had been documented. The team tracked the animal for several minutes, capturing video footage that displayed its distinctive red coloring and white speckled patterns.

Linsey Sala, a pelagic invertebrate curator at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography who was not part of the expedition, expressed enthusiasm about the footage. She noted that such discoveries provide valuable insights into the life strategies of deep-sea organisms and can assist in identifying unidentified specimens held in scientific collections.

Previously, encounters with this squid species were limited to individuals caught by fisheries or fragments found in the stomach contents of other marine animals, mainly near the Falkland Islands.

Bruce Robison, a deep-sea ecologist unaffiliated with the expedition, commented on the significance of capturing live footage of animals formerly known only from deceased samples.

The discovery generated great excitement among the crew. Even before confirming the species, the team eagerly shared images with cephalopod taxonomists worldwide to validate their find.

Cephalopod specialist Kat Bolstad from Auckland University of Technology assisted in identifying the squid. Although its sex and age remained uncertain, the presence of a single hook on each tentacle seen in the images confirmed the species as Gonatus antarcticus.

These hooks likely aid the squid in grasping prey, a trait common to related species. Notably, the animal displayed scratches on its arms and marks on its mantle, suggesting it may have recently survived a predator encounter.

Studying deep-sea squids presents numerous challenges due to the difficulties and costs associated with exploring extreme ocean depths. Moreover, these creatures tend to avoid ROVs, which are often noisy and brightly lit, making such encounters rare. As Thurber noted, these vehicles are perceived as unfamiliar intruders, so it’s often up to the animals to approach.

This dive was part of a broader effort under the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Expedition, which aims to document the effects of climate change across diverse ecosystems including mountains, rainforests, and oceans.

Earlier in 2024, the same ROV SuBastian also recorded a colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) for the first time in a century, highlighting its capability to capture rare deep-sea life.

Compared to the colossal squid, much remains unknown about the Antarctic gonate squid, which inhabits the Southern Ocean and spawns at depths exceeding 2,000 feet.

In the Antarctic ecosystem, smaller Antarctic gonate squids serve as prey for penguins, while larger individuals fall victim to colossal squids sharing the same environment.

This landmark observation opens new avenues for research into the Antarctic gonate squid’s behavior, range, diet, and growth, raising many intriguing questions about this mysterious deep-sea dweller.

As Robison reflected, our understanding of deep-sea communities is limited, and there may be countless unknown interactions and phenomena yet to be discovered.