A colossal squid was captured on video for the first time in the depths of the sea by an international team of researchers who used a submersible remote operated.
The Schmidt Ocean Institute announced the sighting on Tuesday.
The captured specimen was a young man of about 30 centimeters (one foot) in length and the sighting occurred about 600 meters deep in the south of the Atlantic Ocean. The adult colossal squid, which scientists have found in the stomachs of whales and sea birds, can reach up to 23 feet long, similar to the size of a small fire truck.
1/15 | Photos: The remains of the submersible titan at the bottom of the Atlantic. The submersible Titan is owned by the American company Oceangate Expeditions, which organized trips to the Titanic remains. – The Associated Press
The sighting occurred last month near the South Sandwich Islands during an expedition of new marine life. The researchers verified the identification of the species with other independent scientists before publishing the images.
“I really love that we have first seen a young colossal squid. This animal is so beautiful,” said Kat Bolstad, a squid researcher at the Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand, who participated in confirmation.
The researchers are testing different cameras hoping to capture an adult colossal squid, Bolstad added.
The young squid is almost completely transparent, with thin tentacles. Upon reaching adulthood, squid lose this glassy appearance and acquire a dark red coloration or opaque purple. Once they are fully developed, they are considered the largest invertebrate that is known.