Marine biologists from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute captured a video of the Bathyteuthis squid bearing a translucent cover of 100 eggs at a depth of 1,389 meters. These release reports San Francisco Chronicle.
It is believed that squids lay their eggs and then swim away, leaving potential offspring to fend for themselves. Judging by what scientists have come up with, everything is not so simple. This female, about eight centimeters long, can perceive the noisy robotic film machine as a threat and immediately run off to grab the eggs and save them.
In addition, since squids live in the depths of the ocean, many consider them very slow – this is necessary to conserve energy in dark waters with limited food. But the video shows the squid running away quite merrily.
There is also a less innovative explanation: the female was simply looking for a place with the optimum temperature to leave the clutch there. Or he couldn’t find a suitable place and decided to carry the eggs with him.
A snapshot of scientists is an incredible rarity due to the very low population density in the depths of the ocean. Scientists managed to see this species of squid in the natural environment only 12 times during the entire history of observation, and maternal behavior – only twice.