Stubby Squid

Everyone in the scientific community enjoys discovering new species, but those of us with only a passing interest in animals typically only learn about it through others. However, the discovery of the stubby squid, which was made by scientists aboard the E/V Nautilus in 2016, can be seen in action on film. And this may be the only instance in recorded history where the discovery of a new species was greeted by laughing from all parties involved because the animal was so comical-looking.

The crew can be heard speculating about what the tiny creature might be before laughing as they zoom in and point out that it appears to have googly eyes. The tiny organisms range in size from 0.3 to 3 inches, which emphasizes how odd the eyes appear because they are so huge in comparison to the rest of the body.

Sephiolids are sea creatures that inhabit the shallow coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean, some areas of the Indian Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, and the west coast of the Cape Peninsula off South Africa. They can swim by either using the fins on their mantle or by jet propulsion, just like cuttlefish. Due to their spherical mantle, they are sometimes known as "dumpling squid" or "stubby squid."

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Superorder: Decapodiformes
Order: Sepiolida