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17 Aug, 2016 01:35

Delighted scientists discover goofy squid (VIDEO)

Delighted scientists discover goofy squid (VIDEO)

What’s purple, googly-eyed and lives under the sea? The Rossia pacifica, also known as the stubby squid, is your new favorite cephalopod. The small creatures resemble a Spongebob character come to life and were caught on film off the California coast.

The stubby squid, notable for its weird eyes that give it the aesthetic of a stuffed animal sunk to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, was spotted by scientific explorers aboard the E/V Nautilus, according to a spokeswoman for Nautilus Live, ABC News reported.

Even the researchers were amused by it. One could be heard saying that its eyes “look painted on.” Another said, “It looks like some little kid dropped their toy.

The researchers discussed whether or not they could make it move to see it swim, but decided against it.

In the video, the researchers also refer to it as a cuttlefish a few times. This is because cuttlefish are also in the Cephalopoda class and are very closely related to the stubby squid.

Susan Poulton, a spokeswoman for Nautilus Live, told ABC News that the squid "spends life on the seafloor, activating a sticky mucus jacket and burrowing into the sediment to camouflage."

Its funny eyes aren’t just for laughs. They leave their “eyes poking out to spot prey like shrimp and small fish."

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