Unique new species of squid, super small 1cm, hunts by sitting still

These two new squid species are Kodama jujutsu and Idiosepius kijimuna.

This discovery increases the total number of known dwarf squid species to eight, distributed in different regions of the Pacific Ocean.

Pygmy squids are the smallest cephalopods in the ocean, and they are extremely small compared to octopuses, squids, and cuttlefish.

They are not easy to detect because of their small size and activity mainly at night.

These two new dwarf squid species have unique hunting habits, mainly for small shrimp.

They have an interesting way of hunting by sitting still and waiting for the shrimp to drift into range to catch them.

In captivity, each pygmy squid species has its own distinct courtship and breeding methods, which often require cooperation between males and females.

Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization has also been involved in identifying new species. 

This has opened up new opportunities to better understand the behavior and reproduction of pygmy squids.

Lesley Montoya

Update 01 April 2024