Скачать или смотреть Did someone say flying squid?!?

We’d like to tell you a joke about this squid, but it might fly right over your head.🦑

The #MarDelPlataCanton science team suspects this gorgeous creature may be Ommastrephes bartramii — a red flying squid, found in subtropical and temperate waters globally. These colorful camouflage artists spend their days lurking about in the relative safety of the dark depths, making the journey up to surface waters at night to feed.

Squids have a siphon, a short tube with one opening on the head between the eyes and the other end just under the mantle collar. They use their siphon to draw in water and then force it out, creating a sort of jet propulsion system, allowing them to swim very fast. And, for some species of squid, this anatomical feature can be used to launch their bodies into the air. When a group of red flying squid gathers near the surface and a predator approaches, being able to temporarily leave the water is an excellent escape mechanism for a marine animal! Imagine being in the right place, at the right time to observe such a thrilling, but elusive sight.

An international team of scientists observed this squid during a recent dive near the head of the Mar Del Plata submarine canyon, one of Argentina’s largest deep-sea canyons. This expedition marks the first time Argentine researchers have been able to see animals and seafloor ecosystems they have been studying for more than a decade with the high-tech tools available on R/V Falkor (too).