Bobtail Squid

ocean creatures · bioluminescence · super small

Tiny ocean dwellers. Bobtail squid are among the smallest cephalopods in the ocean, usually only about as long as your pinky finger. They live on sandy ocean floors in shallow tropical and subtropical waters.

Glow-in-the-dark trickster. Bobtail squid have a special superpower: they glow with bioluminescence created by friendly bacteria living inside their bodies. At night, they use this glow to blend in with moonlight from above so hungry fish can't see their shadow.

Built-in bacteria helpers. Unlike other squid that make their own light, bobtail squid collect glowing bacteria from the ocean and keep them in a special pouch. The squid and bacteria help each other out, kind of like having a tiny roommate.

Arms and tentacles. Bobtail squid have eight short, stubby arms covered in suckers for grabbing food, plus two longer tentacles they can shoot out super fast to catch prey. They hunt at night when they're invisible thanks to their glow.

Round like a puffball. Bobtail squid have round, puffy mantles that look different from regular squid and cuttlefish. They don't have the hard cuttlebone that cuttlefish use for floating, so they stay close to the sandy sea bottom.