Piglet Squid is Cute

Posted by Xeni Jardin, October 24, 2008 9:19 AM | permalink

Scientists at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium found a cute deep-water squid that looks like a fat little cartoon piggie:

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.

Piglet Squid (Science Blogs, thanks Emeka Okafor)

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Discussion

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#1 posted by Tom Hale , October 24, 2008 9:51 AM

It is cute, almost cuddly looking. I better not let my wife see it, she'll add it to her list of "Adorable animals she wants to one day have as a pet." - right after to sugar gliders probably.

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#2 posted by Pipenta , October 24, 2008 10:28 AM

Nah, for sheer cephalopod adorableness, I gotta go with the striped pajama squid: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Striped_Pyjama_Squid

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#3 posted by noen , October 24, 2008 10:34 AM

I don't believe it. That's got to be photoshoped. The "smile" is what makes me think it's a fake.

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#4 posted by Frank_in_Virginia , October 24, 2008 12:27 PM

Please move this post to follow the bird eating spider. Nice unicorn chaser.

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#5 posted by w000t , October 24, 2008 1:16 PM

Science finally uncovers the origin of Crystal Bacon from the 90s.

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#6 posted by Cool Products , October 24, 2008 1:42 PM

No way the smile is real. It can't be...

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#7 posted by t3hmadhatter , October 24, 2008 2:32 PM

funny, i saw this in a deep sea documentary at school, cept it was orange, it was carrying eggs in that big bubble butt, and it was spinning like a madman. it was attempting to eat a shrimp that shoots bioluminescent depth charges. the abyss is weird O_O.

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#8 posted by Xeni "Hussein" Jardin