During an expedition to Mexico’s Gulf of California in 2015, MBARI’s remotely operated vehicle Doc Ricketts encountered a mother squid cradling a cluster of eggs. While maternal care is common among octopuses, brooding has only been observed in a handful of squid species. This sighting was especially striking because the eggs were twice as large as those of other deep-sea squids we had seen brooding their eggs.
After careful analysis, researchers from MBARI, GEOMAR’s Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, and the University of South Florida have learned this individual likely represents an unknown species in the family Gonatidae and one that broods giant eggs.
The deep sea is the largest living space on Earth, but an environment we still know very little about. Every new discovery we make is a new piece of the puzzle.
Research Publication:
Hoving, H.-J.T., S.H.D. Haddock, B.H. Robison, and B.A. Seibel. 2024. Giant eggs in a deep-sea squid. Ecology, e4319. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.4319