MBARI researchers were diving deep in the Gulf of California when they saw an amazing squid in the genus Heliocranchia. They nicknamed it the “piglet squid” because of its small round body and wiggling tail. But last month, MBARI researchers saw this one 900 meters (2,950 feet) deep off the Monterey Bay! These squid, like many other deep-sea squid, have light-producing organs (photophores) underneath their eyes. It is a sluggish swimmer, usually hanging motionless in the water and has ammonium ions in its body fluid that help keep it bouyant.⠀ ⠀ #pigletsquid #squid #deepseasquid #cephalopod #deepsealife #deepsea #ocean #oceanlife #sealife #midwater #pelagic #mesopelagic #MBARI #underwaterphotography #marinebiology #helicocranchia