#cranchiid

[lichfromspace]

Yes, they’re gay, keep scrolling Cranchiid, they/them, is the transparent glass squid illithid. Scypho, he/him, is the jellyfish illithid, deep, deep Underdark variant.

[montereybayaquarium]

We don't have much else to say except: Look at this inkredible Galiteuthis glass squid!! 😍🦑

OK, no wait, here's some more to say: The cranchiid squid, a.k.a glass squid like this Galiteuthis sp., often have light-producing organs called photophores around their eyes. Cephalopod photophores can be a simple group of light-producing ("photogenic") cells, or they can be quite complex, with photogenic cells surrounded by reflectors, lenses, light guides, color filters and muscles.

Complex photophores are often able to actively adjust the color, intensity and angular distribution of the light they produce. Scientists believe that these photophores around the eyes provide counter-illumination, where the organ produces light to cancel out the shadow cast by the squid's eyeballs in the faint deep-sea light.

In the vast midwater of the deep sea, where there’s nowhere to hide and your shadow is your enemy, glass squid photophores make light work out of camouflage.

[oceansoftheworld]

(photo by David Shale)

This is a juvenile glass squid in the family Cranchiidae, which comprises approximately 60 species, also known as cranchiid or cranch squid. Cranchiid squid occur in surface and midwater depths of open oceans around the world. Like most squid, the juveniles of cranchiid squid live in surface waters, descending to deeper waters as they mature. The body shape of many species changes drastically between growth stages and many young examples could be confused for different species altogether. The common name, glass squid, derives from the transparent nature of most species. Squid are cephalopods (see these previous posts for more information).

(Source)