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Despite being scattered across the world’s oceans, sometimes thousands of miles away from each other, the first genetic study of the giant squid has revealed them to be surprisingly similar to each other. Analysis of their genomes indicates that there is just one global population of giant squids (Architeuthis dux) dispersed around the world.

Scientists believe that this genetic similarity can be attributed to the squid’s larvae, which are carried thousands of miles on ocean currents. So, despite the giant squid’s solitary nature, it’s a member of a much larger family that has spread the world over.

The study, conducted by M. Thomas Gilbert and his colleagues at the University of Copenhagen, sequenced mitochondrial genomes from 43 different squids obtained from across the globe. They discovered that the genomes were remarkably similar, which is unusual for animals that are so widely distributed.

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