Crittercam footage shows Humboldt squid (*Dosidicus gigas*) rapidly changing their body color between pale and dark red. The display may help squid signal to one another, but the footage does not establish what the signals mean—or show that flashing attracts mates. These were Humboldt squid, not giant squid (*Architeuthis dux*), and the flashes were color changes, not emitted light.
What the Crittercam footage recorded
In a 2015 study, researchers used National Geographic Crittercam—an animal-borne video and instrument package—to observe free-swimming Humboldt squid in the Gulf of California. Across three deployments, they recorded color displays without artificial lighting, at depths up to 70 meters. The small number of deployments makes this an observational finding, not a population-wide estimate.
Flashing: coordinated red-and-pale color changes
The researchers called one display “flashing”: the squid changed color across its body between pale or white and dark red. They measured the oscillation at about 2–4 cycles per second. Flashing was almost always recorded when other squid were visible. The researchers therefore considered signaling between squid plausible, while noting that the display’s motivation and effects were unknown. (Rosen et al., Journal of Experimental Biology, 2015)
Flickering: a separate, wave-like pattern
The study also described “flickering,” an irregular, wave-like pattern among neighboring patches of chromatophores—the pigment-containing cells that produce visible color changes. The authors suggested that it might resemble shifting reflections of light from above and could act as dynamic camouflage. That function was not confirmed. Flickering could stop quickly, often before flashing; the researchers interpreted this as possible evidence of inhibitory neural control.
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Does flashing communicate or attract mates?
Communication is a reasonable interpretation, not a decoded message. The study’s abstract says: “Flashing was almost always observed when other squid were visible in the video frame, and this behavior presumably represents intraspecific signaling.” The word “presumably” matters: footage showing nearby squid cannot by itself establish what a display communicates or how another squid responds.
The researchers also reported putative mating attempts in two deployments. They identified these from spermatophores—packets of sperm—appearing among the primary squid’s splayed arms, along with brief arms-to-arms interactions. Those observations indicate possible mating behavior in the footage; they do not demonstrate that flashing attracted a mate or caused a mating attempt. The study leaves the display’s courtship role unresolved.
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Why “giant squid” is the wrong species name here
The Crittercam study concerns Humboldt squid, *Dosidicus gigas*, also known as jumbo flying squid. Giant squid are a different species, *Architeuthis dux*. NOAA’s account of a giant squid filmed on a 2019 expedition describes a separate observation using the Medusa camera platform—not the Crittercam study of Humboldt squid color displays. (NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2019)
“Flashing lights” is also misleading if taken literally. In this study, flashing means rapid changes in chromatophore-produced body color, not light emitted by the squid. A later review discusses communication, courtship, and agonistic behavior as possible interpretations of cephalopod displays, rather than settled explanations for this particular footage. (Frontiers in Physiology, 2017)
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What the footage can—and cannot—tell us
- Observed: Humboldt squid changed body color between pale and dark red; the whole-body flashing averaged about 2–4 cycles per second.
- Observed: Flashing usually appeared when other squid were in view, and the footage included episodes interpreted as possible mating attempts.
- Proposed, not proved: Flashing may be a signal to other squid; flickering may contribute to dynamic camouflage.
- Still unknown: The signal’s meaning, its effects on other squid, and whether it plays a role in attracting mates.
The authors also could not determine how conditions such as temperature or oxygen affected flashing: the behavior could be resolved over only a limited depth range. The footage offers a rare view of social color displays in free-swimming squid, but it does not identify their purpose.
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