Iridescent Bobtail Squid Buries Itself in Sand

A beautifully iridescent bobtail squid methodically buried itself in the underwater sand of the waters off Dauin, Philippines. By doing this, the little cephalopod can protect itself from predators and surprise prey.

During a night dive, we found this beautiful Bobtail squid in the sand, the particularity of this animal is to hide in the sand so a predator can’t see it. For me, it’s one of the most beautiful sea animals we can observe at night.

Australian diver Jules Casey also caught a similar sight while diving off the coast of Victoria, Australia.

On a separate dive, Casey captured footage of a potentially scary situation that proves how the bobtail squid’s method of hiding really works.

A Bobtail Squid patiently waits for a very, very long Genus Ikeda (member of Spoon Worms ) to retreat, over the top of him & back into its hole.

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.