Latest news with #Novillo
Time of India
43 minutes ago
- Science
- Time of India
Rare blood-red squid captured alive for the first time off Antarctica on camera
Source: National Geographic Researchers have discovered the first-ever live footage of a rare deep-sea squid species in Antarctic waters. The team spotted the blood-red creature 7,060 feet below the ocean's surface on December 25, 2024. Led by scientists and technical experts, this mission-critical moment sparks a significant milestone, announced National Geographic . Although scientists have known about the species for over a century, observing it alive is a rare opportunity. This discovery could shed new light on the species' behavior and ecology. The squid's unique features and deep-sea habitat make it a fascinating subject for further research. Blood-red squid spotted alive by the researchers The squid, nearly 0.9 meters long, was identified by a single large hook on the ends of its two tentacles. These hooks likely enable the creature to grasp and subdue prey during the swift ambush attacks. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Undo The rare species was spotted 'blood-red' under the ROV's lights- a remotely operated vehicle. The squid was seen drifting silently through the pitch-dark bathypelagic zone. Scientists were planning to take the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to the Powell Basin, which is an unexplored abyssal plain that plummets to around 9,800 feet deep. However, the launch got postponed because of the sea ice. The researchers then chose a new site at the outer edge of the Powell Basin for the next day, when they witnessed a squid alive for the first time. Researchers quote the discovery as 'mission-critical.' A postdoctoral researcher at Instituto de Diversidad y Ecologia Animal who was aboard the ship, Manuel Novillo, said, as quoted in the report, "It was our mission critical." She added, 'The ice blocks were moving so fast, it would put all the ships in danger, so we had to rearrange everything.' Novillo's team sent the footage to Kat Bolstad, the head of the Lab for Cephalopod Ecology and Systematics at Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand. She confirmed it was an Antarctic gonate squid . "This is, to the best of my knowledge, the first live footage of this animal worldwide.' The team of scientists and technical experts onboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute's ship RV Falkor (too) spotted the blood-red creature. An ecologist at the University of Exeter, Alex Hayward presented his view that the squid's hook adaptations point to its predator role in this deep-sea ecosystem. The footage, analysed and confirmed by Bolstad's team, marks a major step in understanding deep-sea life. The creature's sudden appearance offers a rare look into the lives of animals that live beyond human reach, in a world lit only by bioluminescence. Also read| 160 million-year-old blue-stain fungi in China found to be harmful to trees
NDTV
a day ago
- Science
- NDTV
Rare Blood-Red Squid Seen Alive For The First Time Off Antarctica
Researchers have filmed a rare species of deep-sea squid off Antarctica that has been seen alive for the first time, announced National Geographic. The Antarctic gonate squid (Gonatus antarcticus) was captured moving 7,060 feet below the surface in the ocean's midnight zone. The three-foot-long squid was captured on December 25, 2024. The team of scientists and technical experts onboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute's ship RV Falkor (too) spotted the blood-red creature. Manuel Novillo, a postdoctoral researcher at Instituto de Diversidad y Ecologia Animal who was aboard the ship, said, as quoted in the report, "It was our mission critical." They were planning to take the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to the Powell Basin, which is an unexplored abyssal plain that plummets to around 9,800 feet deep. However, they had to postpone the launch because of the sea ice. Novillo said, "The ice blocks were moving so fast, it would put all the ships in danger, so we had to rearrange everything." Hence, the researchers chose a new site at the outer edge of the Powell Basin for the next day when they witnessed a squid that had "never been seen alive". Behold the first ever recording of a deep-sea squid: The Gonatus antarcticus! For more on this story, visit: — USA TODAY Video (@usatodayvideo) June 10, 2025 Gonatus antarcticus, an elusive cephalopod found only in the frigid waters around Antarctica, the report said. Novillo's team sent the footage to Kat Bolstad, who is the head of the Lab for Cephalopod Ecology and Systematics at Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand. She confirmed it was an Antarctic gonate squid. "This is, to the best of my knowledge, the first live footage of this animal worldwide," she says.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Elusive deep-sea squid caught on camera for the first time: Watch
An elusive deep-sea squid species was caught on camera for the first time ever in a major breakthrough. National Geographic, on June 10, revealed the "history-making sighting" of a massive, three-foot long deep-sea squid, which has never before been seen alive, saying the first-ever video footage of the Gonatus antarcticus was captured "on Christmas Day by the Schmidt Ocean Institute's research vessel, the R/V Falkor (too)." Schmidt Ocean Institute, a nonprofit organization, is focused on ocean research, discovery, and knowledge. The "surprise moment" was "caught on camera via the research vessel's remotely operated vehicle (ROV), SuBastian," in the Southern Ocean, National Geographic said in a press release. Manuel Novillo, a postdoctoral researcher at Argentina's Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal, who was aboard the ship, told NatGeo the expedition wasn't even meant to be in the area that day. But adverse weather conditions and treacherous sea ice forced them to choose a new site at the outer edge of the Powell Basin, instead of inside the "unexplored abyssal plain," which has a depth of approximately 9,800 feet. On Christmas morning, as Novillo watched a live video feed of the expedition's remote vehicle, SuBastian, traveling 7,000 feet through the ocean's depth towards the seabed, he spotted a shadow which caught his attention. Novilla asked the pilot to get closer and 'voila, it appeared,' he told NatGeo. 'What are the odds?' Novillo said about the experience. 'We were not supposed to be there and not at that precise moment. Prior to the sighting, the Gonatus antarcticus was only known from carcasses in fishing nets or when the squids' beaks were found in the stomach of fished marine animals, NatGeo said. Watch: Young colossal squid captured on video in its natural habitat for the first time Alex Hayward, senior lecturer at the University of Exeter in England, told National Geographic that deep-sea squids have good eyesight and usually avoid the lights of a research vessel, making it impossible to spot them. 'We want to see them, but they probably don't want to see us most of the time,' she told the publication. The Gonatus antarcticus squid, which has a red and bluish appearance and is characterized by a large single central hook on each tentacle club, is found only in the frigid waters around Antarctica, according to NatGeo. It was spotted at a depth of approximately 2152 meters in the Southern Ocean's Weddell Sea. Researchers, however, have not been able to confirm the squid's sex or age from the footage. Novillo told the publication that the squid released a small cloud of greenish ink as it was spotted, perhaps startled by the vehicle. The squid also had scratches on its arms and fresh-looking sucker marks on its mantle, hinting at some kind of recent predation attempt that it may have managed to escape. During the expedition, the research team also mapped several previously unexplored sites throughout the Southern Ocean and collected various samples of sediment, water, and biota for research purposes, NatGeo said. Part of the expedition was to examine the impact of climate and environmental change in and around the Weddell Sea, "an area prioritized for marine protection and one of the few near-pristine ecosystems on the planet." Earlier, in March, crew members on board a research vessel operated by Schmidt Ocean Institute in the South Atlantic Ocean recorded a video of the world's largest squid species. The nearly one-foot-long juvenile colossal squid was spotted floating at a depth of approximately 1968 feet below the waters around the South Sandwich Islands, a volcanic archipelago located between the tip of South America and Antarctica. Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@ and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Deep-sea squid species caught on camera for the first time: Watch
USA Today
3 days ago
- Science
- USA Today
Elusive deep-sea squid caught on camera for the first time: Watch
Elusive deep-sea squid caught on camera for the first time: Watch Show Caption Hide Caption Never-seen-before rare squid captured on video Researchers recorded a video of this rare deep-sea squid for the first time! An elusive deep-sea squid species was caught on camera for the first time ever in a major breakthrough. National Geographic, on June 10, revealed the "history-making sighting" of a massive, three-foot long deep-sea squid, which has never before been seen alive, saying the first-ever video footage of the Gonatus antarcticus was captured "on Christmas Day by the Schmidt Ocean Institute's research vessel, the R/V Falkor (too)." Schmidt Ocean Institute, a nonprofit organization, is focused on ocean research, discovery, and knowledge. The "surprise moment" was "caught on camera via the research vessel's remotely operated vehicle (ROV), SuBastian," in the Southern Ocean, National Geographic said in a press release. Watch squid species captured on camera for the first time 'What are the odds' Manuel Novillo, a postdoctoral researcher at Argentina's Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal, who was aboard the ship, told NatGeo the expedition wasn't even meant to be in the area that day. But adverse weather conditions and treacherous sea ice forced them to choose a new site at the outer edge of the Powell Basin, instead of inside the "unexplored abyssal plain," which has a depth of approximately 9,800 feet. On Christmas morning, as Novillo watched a live video feed of the expedition's remote vehicle, SuBastian, traveling 7,000 feet through the ocean's depth towards the seabed, he spotted a shadow which caught his attention. Novilla asked the pilot to get closer and 'voila, it appeared,' he told NatGeo. 'What are the odds?' Novillo said about the experience. 'We were not supposed to be there and not at that precise moment. Prior to the sighting, the Gonatus antarcticus was only known from carcasses in fishing nets or when the squids' beaks were found in the stomach of fished marine animals, NatGeo said. Watch: Young colossal squid captured on video in its natural habitat for the first time Deep-sea squid avoid lights Alex Hayward, senior lecturer at the University of Exeter in England, told National Geographic that deep-sea squids have good eyesight and usually avoid the lights of a research vessel, making it impossible to spot them. 'We want to see them, but they probably don't want to see us most of the time,' she told the publication. Gonatus antarcticus characteristics The Gonatus antarcticus squid, which has a red and bluish appearance and is characterized by a large single central hook on each tentacle club, is found only in the frigid waters around Antarctica, according to NatGeo. It was spotted at a depth of approximately 2152 meters in the Southern Ocean's Weddell Sea. Researchers, however, have not been able to confirm the squid's sex or age from the footage. Novillo told the publication that the squid released a small cloud of greenish ink as it was spotted, perhaps startled by the vehicle. The squid also had scratches on its arms and fresh-looking sucker marks on its mantle, hinting at some kind of recent predation attempt that it may have managed to escape. During the expedition, the research team also mapped several previously unexplored sites throughout the Southern Ocean and collected various samples of sediment, water, and biota for research purposes, NatGeo said. Part of the expedition was to examine the impact of climate and environmental change in and around the Weddell Sea, "an area prioritized for marine protection and one of the few near-pristine ecosystems on the planet." Earlier, in March, crew members on board a research vessel operated by Schmidt Ocean Institute in the South Atlantic Ocean recorded a video of the world's largest squid species. The nearly one-foot-long juvenile colossal squid was spotted floating at a depth of approximately 1968 feet below the waters around the South Sandwich Islands, a volcanic archipelago located between the tip of South America and Antarctica. Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@ and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Watch the mesmerizing first-ever footage of a rare Antarctic squid
Oceanographers on an excursion in the Southern Ocean captured a chance, unprecedented encounter with a sizable deep-sea squid. While piloting a remotely operated submersible 7,000 feet below the ocean surface from aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute's research vessel Falkor (too), experts glimpsed a three-foot-long Gonatus antarcticus specimen. But according to National Geographic's announcement, the team wasn't even supposed to be in that location when they stumbled across the elusive cephalopod. 'The ice blocks were moving so fast, it would put all the ships in danger, so we had to rearrange everything,' said Manuel Novillo, a researcher at the Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal. Novillo and his crewmates working on the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Expedition originally intended to remotely explore the Powell Basin, an uncharted 9,400-foot-deep abyssal plain near Antarctica, on Christmas Eve last year. Inclement conditions and dangerous ice floes forced a change in plans. To cut their losses, researchers instead traveled to an outer edge of the Basin the following day to see what they could find. The last-minute itinerary shift proved more surprising than anyone aboard Falkor (too) expected. Novillo noticed a shadowy figure near the vehicle's camera as they guided the submersible deeper into the sunless depths early the next morning, and asked the pilot to try getting a closer look. 'Voilà, it appeared,' he recounted. Novillo and colleagues were initially unsure about the exact species of squid. But whatever it was, it seemed as surprised to see the submersible as its operators were to find it—the squid released a small, green cloud of ink after noticing the robot visitor. Researchers analyzed the squid's dimensions using the submersible's laser measurement systems while recording a few minutes' worth of video footage. After their brief rendezvous, the squid departed and zoomed away into the murky depths. The oceanographers sent their data and images to Auckland University of Technology's Lab for Cephalopod Ecology and Systematics (aka the AUT Squid Squad) to properly identify their mystery animal. After reviewing its size and physical characteristics, the AUT Squid Squad concluded that the team had captured the first-known meeting with a live G. antarcticus. Before this, the only specimens had come in the form of carcasses caught in fishing nets, or beak fragments found in other marine animals' stomachs. According to Kat Bolstad, head of the Lab for Cephalopod Ecology and Systematics, the telltale markers of G. antarcticus were a single, large hook found at the end of each of its longest tentacles. 'It's not consistently visible, but it is definitely there,' Bolstad said of the hooks seen in the video. The large Antarctic squid likely uses those large tentacle hooks to help capture meals, but beyond that, not much is known about the deep-sea creature. Experts assume daily life is likely a combination of hunting prey and avoiding its own larger predators, possibly even colossal squid. The cephalopods generally possess extremely good eyesight so that they can easily spot and avoid unwanted attention (such as a submersible's headlights). The specimen caught on camera displayed what appeared to be fresh scratches and sucker-induced wounds, hinting at a brush with its own hungry foes. Despite this, Bolstand said the bright coloration and size indicates it remained 'in pretty good shape' since older squid tend to lose their vibrancy. The team wasn't able to determine its sex, but if it was a female, it was nearly twice the size of past documented adult G. antarcticus. This raises the question: Do males retain their coloration throughout their lifecycles? Another explanation may be that G. antarcticus is actually multiple species, although more information is needed before making that determination. In any case, the Christmas Day sighting marked an important moment in the study of deep-sea squid. It may be years before another specimen is seen on film, but for Novillo, the unlikely meetup is amazing enough on its own. 'What are the odds?' he said. 'We were not supposed to be there and not at that precise moment.' For more on this story, visit
