Two Super-Cute New Pygmy Squids Discovered Hiding In Japanese Coral Reefs

[redqueen]

The smol cephalopods are named after creatures from Japanese folklore.
Holly Large - Editorial Assistant

Just meters from the shores of the Japanese islands of Okinawa, a colorful array of coral reefs plays host to a wealth of amazing sea creatures. Two new species of pygmy squids have recently been discovered amongst them, and they’re pretty adorable to boot.

The new species were dubbed the Ryukyuan Pygmy Squid and Hannan’s Pygmy Squid, the latter of which was named after one of the underwater photographers who captured it and represents a whole new genus of squid. Their scientific names, however, were inspired by Japanese folklore.

Idiosepius kijimuna (the Ryukyuan), which has some red coloration, spends its time in the seagrass forests close to the shore. As a result, it was aptly named after Kijimuna, which are small, red-headed fairies that are said to live in Okinawa’s banyan trees.

(More at link)

https://www.iflscience.com/two-super-cute-new-pygmy-squids-discovered-hiding-in-japanese-coral-reefs-71281

[eppur_se_muova]

1. Squee for the squid!

https://assets.iflscience.com/assets/articleNo/71281/iImg/71596/hannan-s-pygmy-squid-l.webp

Actually, this looks like a stubby squid. Apparently, pygmy and stubby (or bobtail) squid are easily confused:

In many ways, the behavior of Idiosepius matches that of the Bobtail Squids (Sepiolidae), and, owing to their similarities, the two have long been lumped together as a single group. Both have rather stubby arms and small bodies, and both are associated more with the benthos than their pelagic cousins in the Teuthida (the “true squids”). However; these similarities apparently belie a deep evolutionary divergence between the two, as seen in recent molecular studies that place the Pygmy Squids as basal among all decapods (squids, cuttlefishes, etc.).

https://www.iflscience.com/two-super-cute-new-pygmy-squids-discovered-hiding-in-japanese-coral-reefs-71281