Monster-size, deep-sea squid that use their glowing arms to blind and stun their prey have been filmed in the wild for the first time, scientists say.
The mysterious creatures were videotaped as they hunted deep in the North Pacific Ocean off southeastern Japan.
The footage shows the animalsDana octopus squid, or Taningia danaetargeting prey with bright flashes of light emitted from their arms.
The squid appear to use the tactic to illuminate and stun their victims, writes the team that made the discovery.
Other glowing signals seen from the bioluminescent species may represent a form of communication, possibly for attracting a mate, the researchers add.
The human-size squid were filmed at depths of 780 to 3,100 feet (240 to 940 meters) off the Ogasawara Islands during a scientific expedition led by Tsunemi Kubodera of the National Science Museum in Tokyo, Japan.
It was off these same islands in 2004 that Kubodera's team captured the first ever images of a live giant squid (Architeuthis) in the wild.
video: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/02/video/070214_squid_01.html
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/02/video/070214_squid_03.html
The mysterious creatures were videotaped as they hunted deep in the North Pacific Ocean off southeastern Japan.
The footage shows the animalsDana octopus squid, or Taningia danaetargeting prey with bright flashes of light emitted from their arms.
The squid appear to use the tactic to illuminate and stun their victims, writes the team that made the discovery.
Other glowing signals seen from the bioluminescent species may represent a form of communication, possibly for attracting a mate, the researchers add.
The human-size squid were filmed at depths of 780 to 3,100 feet (240 to 940 meters) off the Ogasawara Islands during a scientific expedition led by Tsunemi Kubodera of the National Science Museum in Tokyo, Japan.
It was off these same islands in 2004 that Kubodera's team captured the first ever images of a live giant squid (Architeuthis) in the wild.
video: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/02/video/070214_squid_01.html
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/02/video/070214_squid_03.html
....seems you would have to have some heavy pressure to dupliate thier environment.......let them be!
