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Sighting 3: ROV images of a Magnapinna squid at 3060m depth. (A) Close-up view of the Magnapinna squid encountered 5.3m above the sea floor with proximal arms / tentacles seen slightly open and fins slowly waving. (B) Full extension of the arms / tentacles, the longest being approximately 1680mm. Credit: PLOS ONE (2020). DOI: 10.1371 / journal.pone.0241066
A team of researchers from CSIRO Energy, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization and Museums Victoria has documented multiple sightings of bigfin squid in the depths of the Great Australian Bight. In their article published in PLOS ONE, the group describes their study of unique creatures and what they learned about them.
Giant squid live deep in the ocean and are noteworthy for several reasons. The first is that they are rarely seen in the wild: researchers have documented only 12 sightings. They also have unique fins that protrude from the side of the head at an angle reminiscent of Dumbo’s ears, and serve the same purpose, albeit in the water rather than the air. They also have long tentacles that are several times longer than their bodies. And they live thousands of feet deep in the ocean.
Due to their remoteness, little is known about the big fin squid other than their general physical attributes. This sighting is the first in the Great Australian Bight (the huge open bay on the south coast of the country). Furthermore, this is the first time that squid has been observed in a group of species. Although hundreds of meters apart, they apparently shared parts of the ocean. Squids are typically solitary.
Another first was the laser measurement of a sample: a large fin squid with a body (coat) 15 centimeters long. Most impressive were its tentacles, which measured 1.8 meters. All previous measurements of the black tip squid had been estimates based on background information like other fish nearby.
Researchers found the squid while they were conducting underwater investigations in the Bay. When they came across the first specimen, they used additional tools to get a better look. They used both remote-controlled underwater vehicles and towed cameras. In all, they conducted over 40 hours of underwater observations at depths between 950 and 2400 meters below the surface, and ended up shooting five of the rare squid.
Did a shark collide with a large squid and lived to tell the story?
Deborah Osterhage et al. Multiple observations of Bigfin Squid (Magnapinna sp.) In the Great Australian Bight reveal patterns of distribution, morphological characteristics and rarely observed behaviors, PLOS ONE (2020). DOI: 10.1371 / journal.pone.0241066
© 2020 Science X Network
Quote: Multiple sightings of mysterious giant fin squid documented in the Great Australian Bight (2020, November 12) recovered November 12, 2020 from https://phys.org/news/2020-11-multiple-sightings-mysterious-bigfin-squid .html
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