By Susan Milius
Cameras deep in the Pacific Ocean have unexpectedly recorded caring behavior by squid moms.
The remotely operated vehicle Tiburon has encountered five Gonatus onyx squids, each dragging along thousands of developing eggs, says Brad A. Seibel of the University of Rhode Island in Kingston.
Parental care was unknown among squids. In the most-studied species, mothers often lay eggs on the ocean bottom and leave the clutch to its fate. Getting details of deep-water squid family life has been tricky.