Rare Photo of the Elusive and Marionette-Like Bigfin Squid Shows Its Extremely Large Fins and Long Arms

Similarly to other squid species, bigfin squid have eight arms and two tentacles—each covered with microscopic, sticky suckers. But their arms and tentacles are indistinguishable from each other, giving them a ghostly look.

Bigfin squid in the genus Magnapinna are among the most ethereal deep-sea creatures and have a distinctive morphology. Although little is known about these animals as very few have ever been captured, thanks to the increased usage of remotely operated vehicles (ROV) and submersibles over the last decade, we now have some footage of them.

They are unusual in both that the fins are up to 90% of the length of the body, and their arms and tentacles are both extremely long (about 4 to 8 m or 13 to 26 ft). The squid will often hold some of the arms at a 90˚ angle from the side of the body.

How these incredible animals feed is yet to be discovered. Scientists have speculated that they drag their arms and tentacles along the seafloor and grab edible organisms from the floor.

Or, they may simply use a trapping technique, waiting passively for prey such as zooplankton, to bump into their arms.

On November 11, 2007, a Shell oil company ROV captured bigfin squid on video (below) at a depth of 2386 meters (~1.5 miles). The fascinating picture above was made on the basis of the video by an unknown author in an attempt to create a single image of this individual. It was subsequently posted to Reddit.

As oil companies and their ROVs spend more and more time in the bathypelagic zone, about 3,000–13,000 ft (1,000–4,000 m) below the surface, more discoveries are sure to follow.

We can’t wait to see and report on them.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5