4,600 meters down and something blinked back at us

Meet the Dana octopus squid, Taningia danae, a deep-sea cephalopod capable of producing powerful flashes of bioluminescent light in complete darkness. Those flashes come from photophores, specialized organs that produce light, located on the tips of its eight arms. In this species, those photophores are the largest known in the animal kingdom.

We documented it during an ROV dive in the Amirantes Trench while surveying biodiversity at depth.

This species is rarely observed alive in its natural environment. Much of what scientists historically knew came from specimens recovered after predation rather than direct encounters. In the deep ocean, it plays an active role in the food web, preying on fish and other squid while serving as prey for larger predators such as sperm whales and deep-sea sharks. Its movement across ocean regions may also contribute to the transfer of energy and nutrients between ecosystems.

This sighting of a Dana Octopus Squid expands our knowledge of the squid’s habitat range and gives us a rare glimpse into the natural behaviors of this elusive animal.