1. zooillogix
  2. Piglet Squid

Piglet Squid

By zooillogix on October 20, 2008.

Some times I find myself in random corners of the Interweb, pleasantly lost, and then I come face to face with the piglet squid!

i-0ca3e8ff87e260aa06da8312ea67a285-piglet squid Helicocranchia pfefferiHI.jpg
Unaccustomed to Earth's atmosphere, the visitor quickly perished.

The following info is from a short press release provided by the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium when they found this little tyke.

Piglet Squid, Helicocranchia pfefferi

This funny looking squid is about the size of a small avocado and can be found most commonly in the deepwater (greater than 100 m or 320 ft) of virtually all oceans. Its habit of filling up with water and the funny location of its siphone with a wild-looking 'tuft' of eight arms and two tentacles had prompted scientists to name it the piglet squid.

The body is almost totally clear revealing a dark mass that is the internal organs and barely visible, feather-like gills. Pigment organs dot the surface of the skin. In the picture a row of these 'chromatophores' provide a smile-like look. There are two small finst at the opposite end of the body from the head. Very little known of its biology. It has been observed from submersibles in the head down oriengation, but no one is sure why. It is a sluggish swimmer with ammonium ions in its body fluid that help keep it bouyant. A large light producing organ (photophore) is located beneath each of its large eyes.

Tags
aquarium
cephalopod
squid
cabrillo marine aquarium
piglet squid

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I think this ought to win some kind of Cosmic Award. It is almost too comical to believe. Where can I get a dozen of them?

"ammonium ions in its body fluid that help keep it bouyant"

Ammonia can surely make the the poor piglet stink like Windex-drinking hobo.

LOL @ teh ky00t!

By Mad Hussein LO… (not verified) on 20 Oct 2008 #permalink

I'm calling photoshop on the is one

you know those wily Cabrillo Marine Aquarium researchers, always up to photoshopping little known species and publishing papers on them. what goofballs!

Another great looking beanbag toy!

OMG the piglet squid is so cute i wish i could have one

they need to get more info on the piglet squid for the people that have to do work on it but it is still soooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!! cute

spider pig spider pig does what ever a spider pig does does he swing from a web no he cant becouse he's apig

My name is chris, sex?

do any of you guys know what unusaul features the piglet squid has??

By caitlyn and samantha (not verified) on 29 Apr 2009 #permalink

who in the heck is the chris dude writing the thing about sex?

By Caitlyn & … (not verified) on 30 Apr 2009 #permalink

... one particularly deranged antivaccine advocate, who has in the past shown up at least once in the comments on my own blog and is so off the deep end that even antivaccinationists are embarrassed by him, has written posts accusing me of "sodomizing autistic children" and of being a "member of NAMBLA.

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Wow, that's kind of horrifying, actually. I mean, sure it's cute (and I can see where the name comes from) but dang. It really does look like a little piglet, amazingly. Who knows what else the deep holds? There's still so much left to be discovered.

incrideble funny creature, very very lovely , should have to have more pictures of them
free galleries

you are right. i am doing a poem on them, Ashely, #18. iam doing it for school and my teacher is lame.

hwo and what does it eat?

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