Hiding in plain sight: Mimicry in a juvenile deep-sea squid

MBARI scientists describe the first case of siphonophore mimicry by a cephalopod using video from remotely operated vehicles. Juveniles of the mesopelagic squid Chiroteuthis calyx were observed orienting and coloring their tail and body to closely match the common mesopelagic siphophore Nanomia. This mimicry is not consistent across life stages; as juveniles progress into the subadult life stage, they lose their tail, and therefore the ability to resemble Nanomia. It is likely that the smaller and more vuln