Bigfin Squid - Sightings

Sightings

The first visual record of the long-arm squid dates back to September 1988. The crew of the submersible Nautile encountered a long-armed squid off the coast of northern Brazil, 10°42.91′N 40°53.43′W / 10.71517°N 40.8905°W / 10.71517; -40.8905 (Bigfin squid (first sighting 1988)), at a depth of 4,735 metres (15,535 ft). In July 1992, the Nautile again came across these creatures, first observing one individual two times during a dive off the coast of Ghana at 3°40′N 2°30′W / 3.667°N 2.5°W / 3.667; -2.5 (Bigfin squid (sighting 1992)) and 3,010 metres (9,880 ft) depth, and then another one off Senegal at 2,950 metres (9,680 ft). Both were filmed and photographed.

In November 1998, the Japanese manned submersible Shinkai 6500 filmed another long-armed squid in the Indian Ocean south of Mauritius, at 32°45′S 57°13′E / 32.75°S 57.217°E / -32.75; 57.217 (Bigfin squid (sighting 1998)) and 2,340 metres (7,680 ft). A third video taken from the ROV of the oil-drilling ship Millennium Explorer in January 2000, at Mississippi Canyon in the Gulf of Mexico (28°37′N 88°00′W / 28.617°N 88°W / 28.617; -88 (Bigfin squid (sighting 2000, Millennium Explorer))) at 2,195 metres (7,201 ft) allowed a size estimate. By comparison with the visible parts of the ROV, the squid was estimated to measure 7 metres (23 ft) with arms fully extended.

The ROV Atalante filmed another Indian Ocean specimen at 19°32′S 65°52′E / 19.533°S 65.867°E / -19.533; 65.867 (Bigfin squid (sighting 2000, Atalante)) and 2,576 metres (8,451 ft), in the area of Rodrigues Island, in May 2000. The year 2000 was a boon year for observations of these enigmatic animals, for in October, the manned submersible Alvin found yet another long-armed squid at 1,940 metres (6,360 ft) in Atwater Valley, Gulf of Mexico (27°34.714′N 88°30.59′W / 27.578567°N 88.50983°W / 27.578567; -88.50983 (Bigfin squid (sighting 2000, Alvin))).

These videos did not receive any media attention; in any case, most were brief and fairly blurry. However, in May 2001, some ten minutes of crisp footage of a long-armed squid were acquired by ROV Tiburon, causing a flurry of attention when they were released. These were taken in the Pacific Ocean north of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi (21°54′N 158°12′W / 21.9°N 158.2°W / 21.9; -158.2 (Bigfin squid (sighting 2001))), at 3,380 metres (11,090 ft).

On November 11, 2007, a new video of a long-arm squid was filmed off Perdido, a drilling site owned by Shell Oil Company, located 200 statute miles (320 km) off Houston, Texas in the Gulf of Mexico.

The specimens in the videos looked very distinct from all previously known squids. Uniquely among cephalopods, the arms and tentacles were of the same length and looked identical (like extinct belemnites). The appendages were also held perpendicular to the body, creating the appearance of strange "elbows". Most remarkable was the length of the elastic tentacles, which has been estimated at stretching up to 15–20 times the mantle length. Estimates based on video evidence put the total length of the largest specimens at 8 metres (26 ft) or more. On close ups of the body and head, it is also apparent that the fins are extremely large, being proportionately nearly as big as those of bigfin squid larvae. While they do appear similar to the larvae, no specimens or samples of the adults have been taken, leaving their exact identity unknown.