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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Oliver Milman

‘Like an alien invasion’: the neon flying squid that can fly in formation above the ocean

A neon flying squid
Neon flying squid are about the length of a rolling pin. Illustration: Petra Korlević/The Guardian

On a research vessel 15 years ago, a group of Japanese scientists documented something that had only previously been described by startled sailors to disbelieving listeners. They saw a formation of squid flying through the air.

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.

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