![Asperoteuthis acanthoderma, squid [200x150, 8K]](http://www.cephalopodcast.com/img/pic/pic_070227_Mote_Asperoteuth.jpg "Asperoteuthis acanthoderma squid, courtesy of Mote Marine Laboratory")
A Mote scientist received an unidentified floating object (U-FL-O?) last week. It was a squid found at the surface by a sharp-eyed fishing captain southwest of Key West last Tuesday. The story made the news and now there are some updates. There is still a chance it is a new species but all the major characteristics point towards Asperoteuthis acanthoderma.
A. acanthoderma reaches a rather large size. The largest specimen known has a mantle length of 78 cm and long, slender tentacles. In one squid (45 cm ML) the tentacles were over 12 times longer than the mantle (i.e., about 5.5 m) (Tsuchiya and Okutani, 1993). The most distinctive feature of this species is the presence of very small, pointed cartilagenous tubercules over the surface of the head, mantle and arms.
The really interesting thing is that if this is A. acanthoderma, then it may be the first time it has been documented in the Atlantic Ocean. Up until now, all specimens have been found deep in the Pacific. So where has this one been hiding? How did it get here? Many mysteries remain.
Jason Robertshaw
Possibly it tagged along with a ship going through the Panama canal? One of those things that got sucked up for ballast, then discarded?
What it would be doing in shallows to get sucked up is another question entirely.
Or maybe just an Atlantic species.
Glenn–I don’t know, I think A. acanthoderma is a pretty deep water species. I believe this one was found in waters about ~245 meter deep. Hard to imagine an adult getting though the canal. Perhaps as a larva or juvenile. Still, it’s more fun to think they might have always been out there but we just never knew.