Alien-like Magnapinna Squid Caught on Film

A mile and a half underwater in the Gulf of Mexico, a remote control submersible's camera captured an eerie surprise: a rarely-seen, alien-like, long-armed, and "elbowed" Magnapinna squid.

Magnapinna, or "big fin," squid remain largely a mystery to science. Based on analysis of similar videos, scientists know that the adult Magnapinna observed to date range from 5 to 23 feet long. By contrast, the largest known giant squid measured about 52 feet long.

And whereas giant squid and other cephalopods have eight short arms and two long tentacles, Magnapinna has ten indistinguishable appendages that all appear to be the same length.

For a video an in-depth article on the Magnapinnna, see here. For additional photographs, see here.