Friday Squid Blogging: Neon Flying Squid
Refract AI Intelligence Digest
BLUF
First confirmed photos show neon flying squid gliding above water in formation.
NEWS
A shoal of approximately 100 neon flying squid was observed gliding 370 miles from Tokyo, marking the first photographic confirmation of this behavior. While previously known to leap, this species is now documented sustaining flight above the ocean surface for about 30 meters.
Why I Care
Visual anomalies in maritime zones can trigger false threat alerts; understanding natural phenomena like gliding squid prevents unnecessary escalation.
Next Steps
Update maritime surveillance databases with biological case studies; train analysts to distinguish between biological flight and aerial threats.
The neon flying squid can fly in formation.
The shoal of about 100 squid rose unexpectedly from a patch of the Pacific Ocean around 370 miles from Tokyo and glided near the boat for about 30 metres. The astonished researchers were the first to capture photographs of such a thing, which looked like the early stages of an alien invasion.
They were probably neon flying squid (Ommastrephes bartramii), the subsequent study states, a species that is part of a 20-strong flying squid family that was known to leap from the water but, until then, was only rumoured to also be able to glide above it...
Source: Schneier on Security ·