AUT Squid Squad
@autsquidsquad.bsky.social
Deep-sea research group in Aotearoa NZ, focusing on squid ecology & systematics www.aut.ac.nz/alces
And a teensy glass squid (cranchiid), Liocranchia
#SQXmas2025
#SQXmas2025
July 16, 2025 at 8:48 AM
And a teensy glass squid (cranchiid), Liocranchia
#SQXmas2025
#SQXmas2025
#SQXmas2025 continues. On the larger end of the scale, a hefty warty hooked squid, Onykia sp.
July 16, 2025 at 8:47 AM
#SQXmas2025 continues. On the larger end of the scale, a hefty warty hooked squid, Onykia sp.
We've had a couple of cock-eyed or jeweled squid species (family Histioteuthidae); this is a nice H. macrohista, one of the more extreme examples of tiny mantle (yes, that's the whole thing!) compared to head & arms. See also distinctive long arm-tip photophores. #SQXmas2025
July 14, 2025 at 8:35 AM
We've had a couple of cock-eyed or jeweled squid species (family Histioteuthidae); this is a nice H. macrohista, one of the more extreme examples of tiny mantle (yes, that's the whole thing!) compared to head & arms. See also distinctive long arm-tip photophores. #SQXmas2025
This is a young Moroteuthopsis, a warty hooked squid (family Onychoteuthidae)
July 14, 2025 at 8:32 AM
This is a young Moroteuthopsis, a warty hooked squid (family Onychoteuthidae)
This year's Squidmas samples are from sub-Antarctic waters. This is Galiteuthis, a 'glass' squid (Cranchiidae, same family the colossal squid). There are undescribed species in this genus so looking forward to genetic results! #SQXmas2025
July 14, 2025 at 8:29 AM
This year's Squidmas samples are from sub-Antarctic waters. This is Galiteuthis, a 'glass' squid (Cranchiidae, same family the colossal squid). There are undescribed species in this genus so looking forward to genetic results! #SQXmas2025
Day 1 of #SQXmas2025 started with this inspirational message
July 14, 2025 at 7:50 AM
Day 1 of #SQXmas2025 started with this inspirational message
Merry Squidmas Eve! Tomorrow we dive into the NIWA/Earth Sciences NZ freezers once again to discover what deep-sea cephs they've wrapped up for us. We've been very good this year so hoping for some exciting specimens! Stay tuned 🦑🐙🎁
July 13, 2025 at 8:13 AM
Merry Squidmas Eve! Tomorrow we dive into the NIWA/Earth Sciences NZ freezers once again to discover what deep-sea cephs they've wrapped up for us. We've been very good this year so hoping for some exciting specimens! Stay tuned 🦑🐙🎁
Happy bday colossal squid! The species was described in 1925 so @deepseapod.com & I did a centenary episode on the @deepseapodcast.bsky.social - www.armatusoceanic.com/podcast/056-... 🦑🎉
Gorgeous artwork thanks to Gareth, a guest on our recent #Antarctic voyage with #IntrepidTravel for #ProjectESCA
Gorgeous artwork thanks to Gareth, a guest on our recent #Antarctic voyage with #IntrepidTravel for #ProjectESCA
March 10, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Happy bday colossal squid! The species was described in 1925 so @deepseapod.com & I did a centenary episode on the @deepseapodcast.bsky.social - www.armatusoceanic.com/podcast/056-... 🦑🎉
Gorgeous artwork thanks to Gareth, a guest on our recent #Antarctic voyage with #IntrepidTravel for #ProjectESCA
Gorgeous artwork thanks to Gareth, a guest on our recent #Antarctic voyage with #IntrepidTravel for #ProjectESCA
Master Squidcrafter Heather has been at it again. Not sure #IntrepidTravel realized just what they were in for by having the #ProjectESCA team aboard--we brought a rather large stowaway!
#colossalsquid
@deepseapod.bsky.social
@pure-ocean.bsky.social
@AUTnews.bsky.social
#Antarctica
#deepsea
#colossalsquid
@deepseapod.bsky.social
@pure-ocean.bsky.social
@AUTnews.bsky.social
#Antarctica
#deepsea
March 6, 2025 at 2:15 AM
Master Squidcrafter Heather has been at it again. Not sure #IntrepidTravel realized just what they were in for by having the #ProjectESCA team aboard--we brought a rather large stowaway!
#colossalsquid
@deepseapod.bsky.social
@pure-ocean.bsky.social
@AUTnews.bsky.social
#Antarctica
#deepsea
#colossalsquid
@deepseapod.bsky.social
@pure-ocean.bsky.social
@AUTnews.bsky.social
#Antarctica
#deepsea
We're off! Setting sail for Antarctica to chase some squids with the #ProjectESCA camera system and @deepseapod.com, thanks to @pureocean.bsky.social and Intrepid Travel. Bring me that horizon!
February 27, 2025 at 2:52 AM
We're off! Setting sail for Antarctica to chase some squids with the #ProjectESCA camera system and @deepseapod.com, thanks to @pureocean.bsky.social and Intrepid Travel. Bring me that horizon!
Good thing the ones I'm after aren't usually at the beach! Beagle Channel / Tierra del Fuego National Park. (Could I pick up an urchin test or crab moult though?)
February 24, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Good thing the ones I'm after aren't usually at the beach! Beagle Channel / Tierra del Fuego National Park. (Could I pick up an urchin test or crab moult though?)
Ceph street art sighting! Spotted these arms on the side of a building in Ushuaia, Argentina, while out and about with @deepseapod.com as we prep to take #ProjectESCA to the Antarctic Peninsula next week
February 20, 2025 at 11:37 PM
Ceph street art sighting! Spotted these arms on the side of a building in Ushuaia, Argentina, while out and about with @deepseapod.com as we prep to take #ProjectESCA to the Antarctic Peninsula next week
Close Inkounter! #ProjectESCA gets its next squiddy visitor, a glacial squid (P. glacialis) around 800m. It gifts us a few puffs of ink, then drifts back into the dark Antarctic #deepsea.
#antarcticclimateconnections
#PureOceanFund
@schmidtocean.bsky.social
@deepseapod.com
#antarcticclimateconnections
#PureOceanFund
@schmidtocean.bsky.social
@deepseapod.com
February 1, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Close Inkounter! #ProjectESCA gets its next squiddy visitor, a glacial squid (P. glacialis) around 800m. It gifts us a few puffs of ink, then drifts back into the dark Antarctic #deepsea.
#antarcticclimateconnections
#PureOceanFund
@schmidtocean.bsky.social
@deepseapod.com
#antarcticclimateconnections
#PureOceanFund
@schmidtocean.bsky.social
@deepseapod.com
Beautiful wee 'peachy' octopus (O. tetricus) at Kelly Tarlton's Sealife Aquarium. Some regenerating arms but pretty perky overall!
January 21, 2025 at 1:23 AM
Beautiful wee 'peachy' octopus (O. tetricus) at Kelly Tarlton's Sealife Aquarium. Some regenerating arms but pretty perky overall!
There's a lot going on with the Port Jackson shark's snoot and I'm not sure I like it. Would still boop.
January 10, 2025 at 9:00 PM
There's a lot going on with the Port Jackson shark's snoot and I'm not sure I like it. Would still boop.
Cephs are clearly my main squeeze but... I saw this wobbegong today and I think I'm in love
January 10, 2025 at 10:57 AM
Cephs are clearly my main squeeze but... I saw this wobbegong today and I think I'm in love
Here's a better look at the current 'peachy' octopus (O. tetricus) currently on display at Sydney Sealife Aquarium. Quite active while we were by the tank and came right up to say hi!
January 10, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Here's a better look at the current 'peachy' octopus (O. tetricus) currently on display at Sydney Sealife Aquarium. Quite active while we were by the tank and came right up to say hi!
Octopeace! (Octopus with split arm tip) ...sometimes in cephs, arm healing goes haywire and mini arms will regenerate where single suckers were before. Seen today on 'peachy' octopus (O. tetricus) at Sealife Sydney Aquarium
January 10, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Octopeace! (Octopus with split arm tip) ...sometimes in cephs, arm healing goes haywire and mini arms will regenerate where single suckers were before. Seen today on 'peachy' octopus (O. tetricus) at Sealife Sydney Aquarium
When your teuthologist parent uses you for scale at the beach AGAIN
December 28, 2024 at 2:30 AM
When your teuthologist parent uses you for scale at the beach AGAIN
And this was the #SQXmas2024 present we got most excited about at NIWA—a young Cycloteuthis, with ‘sun and moon’ photophores on the viscera in a configuration I’d never seen before. That’s a wrap for 2024—sending best fishes and squid tidings for the New Year!
December 26, 2024 at 8:31 PM
And this was the #SQXmas2024 present we got most excited about at NIWA—a young Cycloteuthis, with ‘sun and moon’ photophores on the viscera in a configuration I’d never seen before. That’s a wrap for 2024—sending best fishes and squid tidings for the New Year!
Not a squid but hitched a ride in one—this impressive deep-sea shrimp was tucked up inside a Pholidoteuthis mantle. Can’t have been comfortable for anyone! #SQXmas2024
December 26, 2024 at 8:28 PM
Not a squid but hitched a ride in one—this impressive deep-sea shrimp was tucked up inside a Pholidoteuthis mantle. Can’t have been comfortable for anyone! #SQXmas2024
Merry Squidmas! A few final goodies from our visit to NIWA in late November. This is an adorable ‘piglet’ squid, Helicocranchia—it’s a glass squid (cranchiid) and would be transparent in life, but the chromatophore patterns are very distinctive in this genus. #SQXmas2024
December 26, 2024 at 8:25 PM
Merry Squidmas! A few final goodies from our visit to NIWA in late November. This is an adorable ‘piglet’ squid, Helicocranchia—it’s a glass squid (cranchiid) and would be transparent in life, but the chromatophore patterns are very distinctive in this genus. #SQXmas2024
Info on every ceph species, at your fingertips? Yes please! Help us finish CephRef (live demo site cephref.org ), a new website for ceph ID & biological info. Please support on gofund.me/5e00ac9a (until Dec 20) & share the link - thank you! 🦑🐙🦑🐙
November 28, 2024 at 9:51 PM
Info on every ceph species, at your fingertips? Yes please! Help us finish CephRef (live demo site cephref.org ), a new website for ceph ID & biological info. Please support on gofund.me/5e00ac9a (until Dec 20) & share the link - thank you! 🦑🐙🦑🐙
Here's another very cool 'glass' squid (cranchiid), Liguriella--very rare in collections so we were really excited to see it, especially with the eyes intact. This genus is still quite poorly understood so this is an important specimen! #SQXmas2024
November 28, 2024 at 9:07 PM
Here's another very cool 'glass' squid (cranchiid), Liguriella--very rare in collections so we were really excited to see it, especially with the eyes intact. This genus is still quite poorly understood so this is an important specimen! #SQXmas2024
Most 'glass' squids (fam. Cranchiidae) have nearly transparent bodies in life. Only the large eyes are opaque, but their silhouette is broken up by a network of light organs (the white strips visible here, on the eye of Teuthowenia pellucida) and reflectors. #SQXmas2024
November 28, 2024 at 9:02 PM
Most 'glass' squids (fam. Cranchiidae) have nearly transparent bodies in life. Only the large eyes are opaque, but their silhouette is broken up by a network of light organs (the white strips visible here, on the eye of Teuthowenia pellucida) and reflectors. #SQXmas2024