Super Cute: Stubby Squid

Rhonda Lee McIsaac —

The Stubby squid, Rossia pacifica of the sepiolid family of cephalopods, was recently observed in the milky green waters of southern Haida Gwaii during the Haida Fisheries Program herring survey.

The Stubby squid is the cutest cephalopod with eight suckered arms and two long tentacles like a squid but has no quill or cuttlebone for internal body support.

The Stubby squid grows to 11 centimeters, has tentacles and is a squid but not a ‘true’ squid. The Stubby squid is more closely related to a cuttlefish but looks like an octopus/squid when seen fully engorged with water.

The squid changes colours camouflaging itself and then moves off by using the fins on either side of its minuscule body. In order to foil curious divers or evade predators the squid squirts a black ink which hangs in the water and is like a calling card … “Now you see me but you don’t!”.