An adorable stubby squid was recently spotted by the E/V Nautilus crew off the shore of California.
Many creatures that live in the waters of the deep ocean are still largely a mystery and the exploration vessels give us a glimpse into the wonderful world down below.
During their recent expedition off the shore of California, the E/V Nautilus crew came across an unusual and adorable googly-eyed sea creature at a depth of 2,950 feet.
The expedition team noted in an online post, "The stubby squid (Rossia pacifica) looks like a cross between an octopus and squid, but is more closely related to cuttlefish. This species spends life on the seafloor, activating a sticky mucus jacket and burrowing into the sediment to camouflage, leaving their eyes poking out to spot prey like shrimp and small fish."
The crew was clearly thrilled to see the creature with one member noting, "It's like someone dropped their toy."
Video of the stubby squid has been widely shared and online users are just as fascinated by it with one commenting, "Words cannot describe how much I love this."