Blue-Eyed Deepsquid

Slithering their way through the shallow caves around Hothiri's Night Islands are blue-eyed deepsquids. While the name may be confusing, these cephalopods are found much closer to the surface of the ocean world than its relatives.

Blue-eyed deepsquids are often bycatch in giant trawling operations. These giant mesh nets tear up the seabed, an industrialised form of fishing designed to catch as much as possible. As a result these squids have largely disappeared from the Night Islands coastlines, their population halving in the last twenty years.

Taxonomy

These squids are in the family Abyssoteuthidae, alongside other deepsquids. They are the smallest of the family, the mantle measuring in at about two feet.

The common and scientific names for this species is inaccurate; this species has a purple eye. The discoverer of the blue-eyed deepsquid was colour-blind.

Anatomy

Blue-Eyed Deepsquid by Mochi

What a funky looking thing. Let's eat it.

— Marine factory worker

Blue-eyed deepsquid are a light blue in colour, with purple or pink markings on the mantle. They have just one giant eye in the centre of the mantle, the largest eye-to-body ratio out of any animal on Hothiri.

A radial disc connected to the gladius serves as a proto-skeleton, giving the squid structure to support a complex internal system.

While it appears these squids only have four arms, they have eight. They pair up to form four thicker arms, which they use to ward off predators by batting and punching.

These squids have two wire-like tentacles, three times the length of the mantle. They end in a tiny paddle, capable of stunning prey using tiny electric shocks.

The fin is a star shape lined with bioluminescent chromatophores. These light up on command and are used to communicate with conspecifics, particularly when courting.

Reproduction & Growth

To attract a mate these squids perform elegant courtship displays. It starts when several males gather in a large lek, putting on a solo performance in an attempt to outdance his competitors. As females gather, they keep watch for the male that impresses her the most. Males will spin their eight arms around, light up their star-shaped fin, and attempt to pull the females in with his tentacles, while lightly tingling her.

If a female is impressed, she will let the male drag her in, otherwise she will bite the tentacles off and swim away.

Females lay her eggs in large columns from cave ceilings. She and her mate will fiercely guard the eggs, punching and shocking anything that swims too close. Once hatched any parental instincts disappear, parents scattering and leaving the babies to fend for themselves.

The hundred babies in a clutch will remain in the caves for the first month, feeding on plankton and other floating food particles until they are large enough to catch the smallest fish. It is at this point when they leave the caves into open coastal waters.

Diet

No animal possesses a grudge like blue-eyed deepsquids do. Have you seen them chase other fish around? There's intent and anger behind that fat, bulging eyeball.

— Marine factory worker

Like all deepsquids, these cephalopods are carnivorous. Babies feed on plankton, juveniles and adults feeding on small fish, crustaceans, isopods, and gastropods. Very rarely they will breach the water's surface, snatching seabirds resting on the waves.

Blue-eyed deepsquid are known to be protective over their prey. There are many other predators in the shallows waiting to snatch food off others, and these squids will defend their catch using as much energy as it takes.

Some squids have developed generational hatred towards snitchfish, territorial predators known to dart at their prey with lightning speed and unmatched accuracy. Deepsquid will intentionally grab the tail of a snitchfish before they dart, causing the tail to rip off. The fish can no longer function without this tail, and it becomes prey for the squid.

Habitat

Blue-eyed deepsquids are a coastal species, inhabiting the shallow waters around the Night Islands. These islands are scattered around the planet, only emerging during low tides at night. The squids frequent the caves that litter the surrounding waters, where they provide protection from predators, and a safe space for their eggs.

They frequently interact with other species, particularly eger snails. These large gastropods carry personalised gardens on their backs, and deepsquids enjoy playing with the plants. Small groups of juveniles are often spotted playing with one another on the backs of eger snails, chasing each other through thick reeds and hiding in tube sponges.

In Culture

Blue-eyed deepsquid have made a surprising impact in worker culture across Hothiri. Throughout the many factories submerged around the Night Islands, deepsquid are a face anyone recognises. They are often seen dancing up against factory windows for all the workers to see, and their bright personalities lift people's spirits, even just for a moment.

As a common bycatch in trawling nets, deepsquid make for good food. They are nutritious, high in fatty acids and minerals. Deepsquid are one of the most common food items fed to workers in these marine factories, cooked fresh wrapped in benthic cabbage.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Abyssoteuthidae

Scientific Name

Abyssoteuthis cyaniris

Lifespan

5 years

Average Length

3 feet

Geographic Distribution

• Hothiri
• Night Islands

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