ANIMALS
DEEP-SEA SQUID CARRIES A DAZZLING STRING OF EGGS
WORDS HARRY BAKER
A close-up of the squid holding onto her eggs
Extremely rare footage of a squid mother carrying a gelatinous string of glimmering pearl-like eggs in her arms has been captured in the dark ocean depths off the coast of California.
Researchers from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) recently spotted the deep-sea squid – an unknown species in the genus
Bathyteuthis – around 56 miles off the coast at a depth of 1,390 meters. The team used a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to capture highdefinition footage of the squid and her still-developing offspring, allowing researchers to examine the pelagic parent in detail.