What species of tiny squid is this ?

[calypsonick]

These guys were the highlight of last night's dive. These little squid, the size of a thumbprint (~2-3 cm), were all over the place.

Depth: Between 5 to 14 meters
Habitat where found: Open sand with small marine plants
Location: North shore East Timor
Presumably nocturnal

They were out in the open......

...but when the light got too close they got spooked and would turn whitish mother of pearl colors .......

....and then start diging themselves into the sand.....

...until only their eyes were showing.

 

[Scubaroo]

They look like squid I saw photos of taken in Botany Bay, NSW. I will try and dig up a reference.

 

[archman]

They look like cuttlefish, and have the same behavior.

That's all I got.

 

[Kim]

Babies?

 

[calypsonick]

Kim, I thought they were young ones too but another diver here says he has seen a couple that size demonstrate coupling behavior.

 

[Vie]

They look like some kind of Bottletail squid—maybe Sepiadarium kochi?

 

[Mike Veitch]

Definitely BObtail squid

 

[archman]

Yeah, bobtail's a good guess. Sticking with the cuttlefish, bottletail's also look good.
http://www.imagequest3d.com/cgi-bin...ca/cephalopoda&image=RGS01519.jpg&img=224&tt=

It was so much more convenient when both groups were lumped together.

 

[Mike Veitch]

Heres a couple of example of a Bobtail and second a Cuttlefish hatchling. The bobtail does look remarkably like a cuttlefish i think as well. But my buddy who took the photos is a marine biologist specializing in Indo West Pacific marine life. I really think Calypsonick's first photo truly shows the characteristics of a squid as opposed to a cuttle. But you may be right, i think we need a invert specialist to tell us...

 

[calypsonick]

Definitely BObtail squid

Thanks Mike! I was thinking Bobtail Squid also but of the four or five pictures I have seen of Bobtails, I have yet to see one with the reddish color of the first picture or with tentacles as small and short as these guys. I hope we get more posts directing us to more pictures.