Rare Piglet Squid Is Spotted by Scientists on A Deep-Sea Expedition 4,500 Feet Below Sea Level

By Andrew Alpin, 12 December 2022

3 They have a short lifespan

Sadly, piglet squids don’t live long after they have done their job of reproducing. Males put on interesting shows to attract females. Once they decide to mate, the male will grab the female and insert a special arm called a hectocotylus into her mantle to transfer the sperm. The male will soon die after this is done, and the female will also die after she has laid her eggs and cared for them long enough for them to hatch.

Img Src: kban.ir

2 The majority of these squids live in the North Atlantic Ocean

The North Atlantic is where this animal lives most of the time. No one knows how many Piglet Squid there are. Also, scientists are trying to find out what they eat and how they live. But it is believed that it eats small fish and other animals that don’t have backbones.

Img Src: kban.ir

1 Even though it usually remains translucent, it does change color eventually

It is one of the smallest species known, being only about 9.9 cm long. This animal remains transparent its whole life. But the adults get a rusty brown color later. No one knows why this happens. Researchers also found that when this small animal gives birth, it changes color from green to purple. The head, the circle of arms and tentacles, and the mantle and fin make up the piglet’s main body. When the squid was once caught alive, it was red, which could mean it was stressed out.

Here's the video of the adorable little piglet squid-


Facebook Twitter