Twisted Squid: Gulf of Mexico 2018

Described by our resident cephalopod expert as “probably the most bizarre squid I’ve ever seen,” we encountered this unusual squid while exploring an unnamed mound at a depth of ~850 meters (2,790 feet) during Dive 04 of the Gulf of Mexico 2018 expedition on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. Its arms were folded back in what may be a defensive posture, but to such an extreme degree, it had lost its squid-like appearance. Video courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Gulf of Mexico 2018.