For likely the first time, biologists captured a wild, elusive ram’s horn squid, or Spirula spirula, live on video.
The deep ocean — particularly the twilight zone, a dark realm extending some 660 to 3,300 feet below the surface — is little known and woefully unexplored. When navigating the depths in submersibles or using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), marine biologists can spot rarely (or never) seen creatures. In late October, a Schmidt Ocean Institute expedition filmed the Spirula spirula floating vertically at some 2,850 feet underwater.
“Exciting news!” the institute, which explores the ocean, tweeted on Oct. 27. “This appears to be the FIRST observation of Spirula, aka ram’s horn squid, alive + in its natural environment. Very rarely seen or captured, they have many extinct relatives, but are only living member of genus Spirula, family Spirulidae, and order Spirulida.” Read more…
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Source : Scientists film elusive, fast creature in the deep sea
