When disturbed, this squid shoots ink and then goes back to pretending to be a potted plant (Image: AI Generated). Oceans are a mysterious reservoir of Earth’s secrets, which keeps surprising us. This time, the news has come from 4,100 meters below the Pacific Ocean’s Clarion-Clipperton Zone. A rather strange species of whiplash squid has been spotted, displaying uncanny behaviour.. The discovery was made when marine biologist Dr Alejandra Mejía-Saenz’s remotely operated vehicle (ROV) was scanning the ocean depths for a mining impact survey. In the clipping, this slender, whip-tailed squid was seen approaching a muddy patch dotted with polymetallic nodules. What happened next was rather unexpected.. The species was seen approaching a muddy patch dotted with polymetallic nodules. The animal then plunged headfirst into the sediment, burying its mantle deep into the patch. As it took this weird dive, only its long tentacles and hyponome, a tubular organ, were seen swaying in the water currents, resembling rigid sponge stalks. As the squid positioned itself in this upside-down pose, it froze, masquerading as deep-sea flora amid the barren plain.. View this post on Instagram. Another interesting observation followed next. Predatory sleeper sharks patrolled nearby but ignored the squid like the rest of the plants in sight. The squid’s chromatophores also held steady, pausing their usual shimmer betraying life.. However, it is not clear exactly which predator it was protecting itself from: whales, amphipods, or resting gills siphon-fresh? After a few hours of playing statue, it was probed by a rattail fish. The squid’s tentacles quivered subtly, then shot ink as a diversionary puff. Startled, the intruder fled, and the squid withdrew, once again taking the potted plant-like posture.. Also Read | Forget tadpoles, newly discovered toads take a shortcut and birth live ‘toadlets’. The biologist, who is associated with Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) says that she and her team were transfixed on the sight and described it as “very novel… very puzzling,” in journal Ecology. The discovery has stunned cephalopod experts as no prior squid has ever been spotted this way: buried head-down, inverted, mimicking rigid stalks. This living illusion has yet again proved how little we know about nature.. 📣 For more lifestyle news, click here to join our WhatsApp Channel and also follow us on Instagram. © IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
