Source: Tech Times
Author: Jacob Elyachar
On Wednesday, April 17, a group of marine biologists had a close encounter with a peculiar-looking squid in the Gulf of Mexico.
An Uncanny Creature
According to National Geographic, the Okeanos Explorer team found the interesting creature that was thousands of feet below the Gulf of Mexico. Crew members were recording their findings for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration when their remote-controlled submarine stumbled upon the sea creature.
Several members of the crew were surprised by it. One of the team members stated that the creature looked like a vampire squid. The creature also had two pairs of horns on its head and stumpy arms. It perplexed the researchers as they had a hard time identifying it.
However, one of the team’s researchers, Mike Vecchione, hypothesizes that the squid could be a part of a squid species known as Discoteuthis discus. This particular type of squid has been known to travel throughout the warmer parts of the Atlantic Ocean. The submarine did not collect the creature and continued on their expedition.
“Every time we catch [D. discus], it’s so hard to tell what species it is. I’ve never seen one entire, or in good condition. If that’s what it is, then it’s the first time anybody’s seen one alive,” said Vecchione to National Geographic.
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