Googly-eyed glass squid
Teuthowenia pellucida, the googly-eyed glass squid, is a rare deep-sea glass squid whose habitat ranges throughout the oceans of the southern hemisphere.
The googly-eyed glass squid is a blue, transparent organism with a body size of approximately 200 mm (7.9 in) and notably large eyes. Mantle thickness is only a few millimeters. Females are slightly larger than males. The squid has eight short tentacles and a slightly longer pair at the end of its rather swollen body. The only visible internal organ is the digestive gland, similar to the liver of a chordate. As a defense, the squid is able to engorge itself with surrounding water to dramatically increase in size, appearing more intimidating. The squid is also able to escape predators using jet propulsion.
Googly-eyed glass squid live consistently along the circumglobal 40° southern parallel, in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. Immature googly-eyed glass squid are usually found at depths of around 900 m (3,000 ft). Mature squid exist at depths of between 1,600 and 2,400 m (5,200 and 7,900 ft).
