Scientists Capture the Rare Sight of a Japanese Pygmy Squid Shooting Ink to Hunt for Prey

Earlier this year, a team of 17 scientists at Aberystwyth University in Western Wales captured extremely rare footage of a tiny Japanese pygmy squid shooting a jet of its ink in order to catch prey rather using it as shield of defense.

The team noticed two distinct tactics. In some cases, the squid ejected a cloud of ink into the space separating them from the shrimp, then cut straight through it and captured the prey. One individual released several such screens in a sequence as it moved ever closer to its victim. The team thinks the cloud serves as a smokescreen that prevents the prey from seeing the attacker's movement.