Rare Bigfin Squid Filmed Off California in First Confirmed Live Sighting in the Northeast Pacific
Scientists with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) and NOAA have filmed an extremely rare bigfin squid (Magnapinna) near Davidson Seamount off Central California — the first confirmed live sighting of the species in the Northeast Pacific. According to USA Today (Oct. 17), the team spotted the squid about 3,277 meters (10,751 feet) below the surface during a survey with MBARI's remotely operated vehicle Doc Ricketts, and laser measurements put its length at about 1.25 meters (4.1 feet). MBARI postdoctoral fellow Olívia Soares Pereira, who was monitoring the video feed, first noticed the filament-like arm tips entering the frame: “When the signature ‘elbows’ appeared, I knew it was a bigfin squid.” Only about 70 bigfin squid have ever been observed or collected worldwide, and it is among the deepest-dwelling squid known. The sighting came during a 10-day “seamount hotspots” expedition studying why Davidson Seamount is a biodiversity hotspot; most previous sightings were in tropical waters.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：深海巨鳍鱿鱼（示意）。照片：美国国家海洋和大气管理局（NOAA）海洋探测办公室，联邦公共领域。A bigfin squid in the deep ocean. Photo: NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration, U.S. federal public domain.
