Bigfin squids
Holotype of Magnapinna pacifica, a juvenile The long-arm squid filmed by DSV Alvin, possibly an adult Magnapinna sp.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Mollusca Class: Cephalopoda Order: Teuthida Suborder: Oegopsina Family: Magnapinnidae Vecchione & Young, 1998 Genus: Magnapinna Vecchione & Young, 1998
Species
Magnapinna atlantica Magnapinna pacifica (type) Magnapinna talismani Magnapinna sp. B Magnapinna sp. C Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A holotype is one of several possible types. ... Binomial name Magnapinna pacifica Vecchione & Young, 1998 Magnapinna pacifica is a species of bigfin squid known only from three immature specimens; two caught at a depth of less than 300 m and one from a fish stomach. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Alvin in 1978, a year after first exploring hydrothermal vents. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. ... Animalia redirects here. ... Classes Caudofoveata Aplacophora Polyplacophora - Chitons Monoplacophora Bivalvia - Bivalves Scaphopoda - Tusk shells Gastropoda - Snails and Slugs Cephalopoda - Squids, Octopuses, etc. ... Orders Subclass Nautiloidea †Plectronocerida †Ellesmerocerida †Actinocerida †Pseudorthocerida †Endocerida †Tarphycerida †Oncocerida †Discosorida Nautilida †Orthocerida †Ascocerida †Bactritida Subclass †Ammonoidea †Goniatitida †Ceratitida †Ammonitida Subclass Coleoidea †Belemnoidea †Aulacocerida †Belemnitida †Hematitida †Phragmoteuthida Neocoleoidea (most living cephalopods) ?†Boletzkyida Sepiida Sepiolida Spirulida Teuthida Octopoda Vampyromorphida The cephalopods (Greek plural (kephalópoda); head-foot) are the mollusk class... Suborders Myopsina Oegopsina Squids are the large, diverse group of marine mollusks, popular as food in cuisines as widely separated as the Japanese and the Italian. ... Families See text Oegopsina is a suborder of the squid order, Teuthida, in the Cephalopod Class. ... In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biodiversity. ... Binomial name Magnapinna atlantica Vecchione & Young, 2006 Magnapinna atlantica, previously known as Magnapinna sp. ... Binomial name Magnapinna pacifica Vecchione & Young, 1998 Magnapinna pacifica is a species of bigfin squid known only from three immature specimens; two caught at a depth of less than 300 m and one from a fish stomach. ... Type specimens When a new species is discovered, more important than creating a new and unique name for the species is developing a reasonably detailed description. ... Binomial name Magnapinna talismani (Fischer & Joubin, 1907) Synonyms Chiroteuthopsis talismani Fischer & Joubin, 1907 Mastigoteuthis talismani (Fischer & Joubin, 1907) Magnapinna talismani is a species of bigfin squid known only from a single damaged specimen. ... Binomial name Magnapinna sp. ... Binomial name Magnapinna sp. ...

The bigfin squids are a group of rarely seen cephalopods with a very distinctive morphology. They are placed in the genus Magnapinna and family Magnapinnidae. The family is known only from larval, paralarval, and juvenile specimens, but some authorities believe the adult creature has been seen: Several videos have been taken of animals nicknamed the "long-arm squid", which appear to have a similar morphology. Since none of the adult specimens have ever been captured or sampled, it remains uncertain if they are the same genus, or only distant relatives. For other uses of the word, please see Genus (disambiguation). ... In biological classification, family (Latin: familia, plural familiae) is 1) a rank or 2) a taxon in that rank. ...

Specimens

The first record of this family comes from a specimen (Magnapinna talismani) caught off the Azores in 1907. However, due to the damaged nature of the find, very little information could be discerned and it was lumped in with the mastigoteuthids as Magistoteuthis talismani. In 1956 a similar squid (Magnapinna sp. C) was caught in the South Atlantic, but little was thought of it at the time. Binomial name Magnapinna talismani (Fischer & Joubin, 1907) Synonyms Chiroteuthopsis talismani Fischer & Joubin, 1907 Mastigoteuthis talismani (Fischer & Joubin, 1907) Magnapinna talismani is a species of bigfin squid known only from a single damaged specimen. ... Genera Idioteuthis Mastigoteuthis The Mastigoteuthidae, also known as whip-lash squid, are a family of smalll deep-sea squid. ... Binomial name Magnapinna sp. ...

During the 1990s two more immature specimens were found in the Atlantic (Magnapinna sp. A), and three more were found in the Pacific (Magnapinna pacifica). Researchers Michael Vecchione and Richard were the chief investigators of the finds, and eventually linked them up to the two previous specimens. Of particular interest was the very large fin size, up to 90% of the mantle length that was responsible for the nickname. Since the number of specimens has been very low, the relationships between the different species are still ambiguous. It has been stated that they may all be the same species, but it is unlikely. The Magnapinna pacifica finds have been called a "cryptid" by cryptozoologist Karl Shuker,^[1] who apparently had been unaware of the other specimens and video evidence. Binomial name Magnapinna atlantica Vecchione & Young, 2006 Magnapinna atlantica, previously known as Magnapinna sp. ... Binomial name Magnapinna pacifica Vecchione & Young, 1998 Magnapinna pacifica is a species of bigfin squid known only from three immature specimens; two caught at a depth of less than 300 m and one from a fish stomach. ... Cryptids are creatures presumed extinct or hypothetical species of creature known from anecdotal evidence and/or other evidence insufficient to prove their existence with scientific certainty. ... Cryptozoology is the study of rumored or mythological animals that are presumed to exist, but for which conclusive proof does not yet exist; or are generally considered extinct, but occasionally reported. ...

A single specimen of a fifth species, Magnapinna sp. B, was collected in 2004. Magnapinna sp. A was described as Magnapinna atlantica in 2006. Binomial name Magnapinna sp. ... Binomial name Magnapinna atlantica Vecchione & Young, 2006 Magnapinna atlantica, previously known as Magnapinna sp. ...

Long-armed squids

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, at a depth of 4735 m. 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 and 3010 m depth, and then another one off Senegal at 2950 m^{[verification needed]}. Both were filmed and photographed.^[2] This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Nautile. ...

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 and 2340 m. 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) at 2195 m allowed a size estimate. By comparison with the visible parts of the ROV, the squid was estimated to measure 7 meters with arms fully extended.^[2] Deep Submergence Vehicles are deep diving manned submarines that are self-propelled. ... Remotely operated vehicles (ROV) are mobile tools used in environments too dangerous for humans. ... Gulf of Mexico in 3D perspective. ...

The R/V Atalante filmed another Indian Ocean specimen at 19°32′S, 65°52′E and 2576 m, in the area of Rodrigues Island, in May 2000.^[2] 2000 was a boon year for observations of these enigmatic animals, for in October, the manned submersible Alvin found yet another long-armed squid in Atwater Valley, Gulf of Mexico ( 27°34.714′N, 88°30.59′W, 1940 m). Map of Rodrigues Rodrigues (or Rodriguez) is one of the Mascarene Islands and a dependency of Mauritius. ... Alvin in 1978, a year after first exploring hydrothermal vents. ...

The long-armed squid observed by ROV Tiburon in May 2001.

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), at 3380 m. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... R/V Western Flyer is a twin hulled SWATH research vessel operated by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI). ... OÊ»ahu (usually Oahu outside Hawaiian and Hawaiian English), the Gathering Place, is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous island in the State of Hawaii. ... Image of Hawai‘i (island) taken by NASA. The Island of Hawai‘i is one of the eight main islands that make up the state of Hawai‘i. ...

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. On close ups of the body and head, it is also apparent that the fins are extremely large, nearly as big as the 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. Extinct Orders Aulacocerida Phragmoteuthida Belemnitida Diplobelida Belemnoteuthina Belemnites (or belemnoids) are an extinct group of marine cephalopod, very similar in many ways to the modern squid and closely related to the modern cuttlefish. ...

See also

• Cephalopod size

The giant squid (Architethis sp. ...

References

• Vecchione, M.; Young, R.E.; Guerra, A.; Lindsay, D.J.; Clague, D.A.; Bernhard, J.M.; Sager, W.W.; Gonzalez, A.F.; Rocha, F.J. & Segonzac, M. (2001): Worldwide observations of remarkable deep-sea squids. Science 294(5551): 2505-2506. DOI:10.1126/science.294.5551.2505 (HTML abstract)

A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ...

External links

• CephBase: Magnapinna
• Tree of Life Web Project: Magnapinidae
• Cephalopods in Action: Long-armed squid videos