Bobtail squidding

The other evening, I joined the HIMB Education program to hunt for bobtail squid.  Bobtail squid are not actually squid at all, but cuttlefish.  One of the big differences between squid and cuttlefish are the feeding tentacles that hang out of squid's mouths all the time, while cuttlefish keep their feeding tentacles tucked inside their mouths, shooting them out when necessary. Bobtail squid are adorable cuttlefish that look like little swimming dumplings.  

It was a beautiful evening on Coconut, perfect for bobtail squidding.  They bury themselves in the sand during the day and come out at night to feed, so all we had to do was wade around in the shallows and look for little swimming dumplings. Unfortunately, after an hour and a half, we still hadn't found one. But then, one of the interns, who was snorkeling in deeper water found two of the smallest bobtail squid I have ever seen! Adorable!

The most interesting thing about bobtail squid is their ability to counter-shade with the help of bacteria called Vibrio fisceri. The bacteria live in a light organ on the underside of the bobtail squid and they fluoresce in response to the brightness of the moon.  That way, if there is a predator under the bobtail squid, it looks up and instead of seeing the shadow of an animal blocking the light from the moon, the predator sees nothing. It's like an invisibility cloak for a bobtail squid. Pretty incredible symbiotic relationship. Yay science!