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I just want everyone to know that this squid actually exists. I have not personally seen one, but it makes me happy to know they are out there, going about their daily squidy business.
Behold, the striped pyjama squid. These cephalopods live in the Indo-Pacific Oceans of Australia, and they spend most of their time buried in the sand with only their eyes sticking up, so they can ambush prey, such as shrimp or fish. I think it's a pity that they hide under the sand so much—they should want to show off those beautiful stripes, don't you think? Besides, as squid are wont to do, they are capable of changing their color to blend in. Their normal state, however, is the striped pyjama look.
By the way, if you're wondering why it's spelled pyjama instead of pajama, this is became much of the rest of the English-speaking world spells it pyjama, including Australia, where these creatures are found. Some people call it the striped dumpling squid.
Interestingly, these squid mate head-to-head (SEE THE THIRD PHOTO). The female then stores the male's sperm in a pouch under her mouth until she is ready to lay her eggs (kind of like when Napoleon Dynamite stores tater tots in his pockets until he is ready for a snack later... but I digress). When the female is ready, she lays her eggs in a safe place, then squirts the sperm over them to fertilize them. When the tiny babies emerge from the eggs, they are already proudly adorned in vivid pyjama stripes.
Photo Credits:
- Top squid photo - DepositPhotos
- Middle squid photo - Scubagirl85, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Bottom squid photo (mating squid) - Scubagirl85, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
