Ink impostors: Out of the darkness of the deep, ghostly clouds take shape

Out of the darkness of the deep, ghostly clouds take shape. What are these mysterious apparitions? When spooked by a predator, a squid may quickly escape, leaving behind a shroud of ink. This decoy distracts so the squid can jet to safety. Their ink shapes take on many forms—clouds, streams, dots, ropes, and more. These animal-look-alike shapes are known as pseudomorphs. We don’t know whether the squids are mimicking other animals, but here are some of our favorite pseudomorphs. As we explore the ocean, we continue to learn more about the animals in the mysterious midnight waters far below. Animals in pseudomorph clips, in order of appearance: 01:06 Red-lipped comb jelly, Bathyctena sp. 01:13 Woolly siphonophore, Apolemia lanosa 01:24 Top hat jelly, Leuckartiara sp. 01:31 Red-grooved siphonophore, Apolemia rubriversa 01:37 Tower jelly, Neoturris sp. 01:45 Black-eyed squid, Gonatus onyx 01:52 Rocketship siphonophore, Chuniphyes multidentata 01:58 Cockatoo squid, Taonius sp.