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  • This Japanese pygmy squid (Idiosepius paradoxus) has its arms wrapped around its prey, a skeleton shrimp (Caprellidae), which is a type of amphipod. Here the skeleton shrimp is clinging to the eelgrass by a single claw, but it eventually succumbed. Pygmy squids use venom to paralyze their prey, then inject digestive enzymes into their food. They ingest the liquified contents and discard the exoskeleton.
    idiosepius-paradoxus-eating-caprelli...tif
  • This is a female Japanese pygmy squid (Idiosepius paradoxus) that is consuming a large skeleton shrimp (Caprellidae), which is a type of amphipod. Pygmy squids use venom to paralyze prey, then inject digestive enzymes into their food. They ingest the liquified contents and discard the exoskeleton.
    idiosepius-paradoxus-eating-caprelli...tif
  • This is a female Japanese pygmy squid (Idiosepius paradoxus) depositing eggs on a blade of eelgrass (Zostera marina). The white mass to the left of the fresh eggs are eggs that were deposited earlier, not necessarily by this female. Fine grains of sand and other debris have covered the older eggs. The females seem to prefer certain blades of eelgrass. It is common to see two or more clutches on a single blade of eelgrass and none on others.
    idiosepius-paradoxus-female-depositi...tif
  • This female Japanese pygmy squid (Idiosepius paradoxus) is cleaning the surface of eelgrass (Zostera marina) prior to depositing an egg. The curved white strands are spermatophores attached by multiple males. Photographed at two times life-size magnification.
    idiosepius-paradoxus-female-depositi...tif
  • After a female Japanese pygmy squid (Idiosepius paradoxus) deposits eggs on eelgrass as shown here, sand and other debris accumulate and adhere to the eggs quickly. Within a short time, egg clusters become opaque. This may serve to protect the eggs. The eggs pictured here were fresh, deposited less than an hour before. Photographed at two times life-size magnification.
    idiosepius-paradoxus-eggs-japan-2021...tif
  • This Idiosepius paradoxus Japanese pygmy squid is consuming a crustacean, perhaps an amphipod of sub-order Hyperiidea. The compound eye of the prey is visible. These small squids immobilize prey with venom, then inject digestive enzymes and consume the liquified contents. They discard the empty exoskeletons when finished.
    idiosepius-paradoxus-eating-hyperiid...tif
  • Male Japanese pygmy squids (Idiosepius paradoxus) like the darker squid on the right side of this image often approach females in the process of depositing eggs to pass on spermatophores. Pictured here is the moment the female has accepted spermatophores from the male. Spermatophores that she has previously received from other males are visible attached to her mantle.
    idiosepius-paradoxus-female-spermato...tif
  • Male Japanese pygmy squids (Idiosepius paradoxus) like the darker squid on the right side of this image often approach females in the process of depositing eggs to pass on spermatophores. Pictured here is the moment that this male has just offered the white strands of sperm. The female has indicated that she will accept. Spermatophores that she has previously received from other males are visible attached to her mantle.
    idiosepius-paradoxus-female-spermato...tif
  • This female Japanese pygmy squid (Idiosepius paradoxus) is preparing to deposit an egg by cleaning the surface of eelgrass (Zostera marina). The curved white strands are spermatophores attached by multiple males. Photographed at two times life-size magnification.
    idiosepius-paradoxus-female-depositi...tif
  • This female Japanese pygmy squid (Idiosepius paradoxus) is depositing eggs on a blade of eelgrass (Zostera marina). The curved white strands are spermatophores attached by multiple males. Photographed at two times life-size magnification.
    idiosepius-paradoxus-female-depositi...tif
  • This is a female Japanese pygmy squid (Idiosepius paradoxus) depositing eggs on a blade of eelgrass (Zostera marina). Reproductive season takes place twice a year.. Adults of this species die after reproduction, which means that there are two generations each year. Size descriptions generally suggest maximum size of up to 18mm. The females in this area were considerably larger, in the range of 30mm. Photographed at magnification of two times life-size.
    idiosepius-paradoxus-female-depositi...tif
  • Pictured here is a female Japanese pygmy squid (Idiosepius paradoxus) depositing eggs on a blade of eelgrass (Zostera marina). During reproductive season, females receive spermatophores from multiple males (white strands visible) and deposit eggs multiple times. Adults die at the end of the reproductive period. Eggs hatch and mature within a few months, reproducing again to repeat the cycle. Two reproductive cycles take place each year.
    idiosepius-paradoxus-female-depositi...tif
  • This is a female Japanese pygmy squid (Idiosepius paradoxus) taking a break after depositing an egg on a blade of eelgrass (Zostera marina). Reproductive season takes place twice a year..Adults of this species die after reproduction, which means that there are two generations each year. Size descriptions generate indicate maximum size of up to 18mm. The females in this area were considerably larger, in the range of 30mm. Photographed at two times life-size magnification.
    idiosepius-paradoxus-female-depositi...tif
  • This is a female Japanese pygmy squid (Idiosepius paradoxus) during the reproductive season. The white strands are spermatophores that have been passed to her by males. Here she is extending her two tentacles while searching for prey.
    idiosepius-paradoxus-female-with-spe...tif
  • Japanese pygmy squids (Idiosepius paradoxus) possess an attachment organ under the dorsal surface of their mantle, which they use to secure themselves to seaweed such as this eelgrass. This individual is a female, as evidenced by her collection of elongated white spermatophores that have been provided by multiple males.
    idiosepius-paradoxus-female-with-spe...tif
  • After depositing an egg and prior to cleaning the eelgrass again, female Japanese pygmy squids (Idiosepius paradoxus) lift away from the grass in this manner. This is part of the process of preparing the next egg that will be deposited. Photographed at a magnification of two time life-size.
    idiosepius-paradoxus-female-depositi...tif
  • This is a close-up view of a female Japanese pygmy squid (Idiosepius paradoxus) depositing eggs on a blade of eelgrass (Zostera marina). After finishing with an egg, females lift away from the substrate like this, perhaps as part of the process of preparing the next egg. Photographed at two times life-size magnification.
    idiosepius-paradoxus-female-depositi...tif
  • This is a colorful pygmy squid (Idiosepius sp.), less than 1cm in length, hunting for food in relatively shallow water at night. Photographed during a blackwater dive in Palau.
    pygmy-squid-idiosepius-sp-palau-blac...tif
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