Rare, tentacled sea creature spotted in California waters

For the first time, researchers have spotted a rare, deep-sea squid alive off the California coast. 

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During an August ocean expedition south of Monterey, researchers found a bigfin squid — with the scientific name Magnapinna sp. — undulating about 2 miles underwater.

It marked the first sighting of this elusive animal living in the northeastern Pacific Ocean. 

“No one has ever seen a live specimen here in the sanctuary, in the California Current, in the northeast Pacific,” Andrew DeVogelaere, a research ecologist for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary who took part in the expedition, told SFGATE. “It was spectacular to see. These seasoned marine scientists were all of sudden acting like kids again, and Magnapinna has that effect on people.”

Bigfin squid, which can grow up to at least 21 feet long, can live deeper in the cold, pitch-black ocean than other known squid.

Scientists have only observed or collected about 70 of these creatures, according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. True to their name, they have large fins in addition to eight arms and two tentacles. Scientists hypothesize that they cast these appendages around as a net to catch prey. 

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But many aspects of the bigfin squids remain a mystery. 

“What do we really know about this animal? Not that much,” DeVogelaere said. “It’s like, well, how come no juveniles have been seen in any of the oceans? It’s like, how do they find a mate? Where do they lay their eggs? What are their limits?”

The scientists encountered the seemingly alien-looking creature after plunging a remotely operated vehicle off their boat in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. 

The 10-day trip, a combined effort from Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, had a variety of objectives, including studying seamounts, or underwater mountains in the seafloor. They were not looking for squid. Still, the discovery aligns with the larger vision for the research, according to DeVogelaere. 

“The ocean provides what we call ecosystem services, things like the oxygen we breathe, the food we eat, inspiration for our souls,” he said. “To maintain these services for future generations, we need to know what lives in the ocean and how the ecosystems function. To me, seeing the Magnapinna reminds us that we still have so much to learn.”