Positive ID on the Squid Video
A still photo of a Magnapinna sp. squid taken from an ROV submersible at 1940 m. (photo from the Tree of Life website).
Thanks to “Animal Mother” on Reef Central, we have been able to identify the squid in the video we posted a few days ago. It appears to be in the genus Magnapinna. The “Tree of Life” web page has a modest collection of information compiled about the genus, but it is clear that very little is known about them. All members are deep-sea dwelling, and it is estimated that the total length of these squid can be up to 7m long. A friend of ours aptly dubbed it the “marionette squid” based on the way it holds its tentacles, according the the TOL page and obvious in the video, “the arms and tentacles typically are held in an unusual position: They extend at sharp angles to the body axis then abruptly (sometimes at a 90° angle) turn anteriorly.” Incredible. Based on the still images they have posted, this video represents a very welcome addition to the pool of knowledge regarding this Magnapinna sp.
