An underwater rover deployed by the Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre captured remarkable footage 3,300-meters down at the bottom of the Tonga Trench. It shows a rarely-seen bigfin squid (Magnapinna) "taking a walk" on its 13-foot tentacles. Watch below.
There have only been around 20 documented sightings of this beautifully bizarre creature in two decades. Magnapinna are the deepest-dwelling squids known to science.
According to the Ocean Conservancy, "they get their name from the fact that their fins stretch to about 90% of the length of the mantle, or the main body of the squid. The largest bigfin squid on record stretched to more than 20 feet long, and it's possible they can grow even larger.
"Some scientists speculate they use their arms and tentacles as a spiderweb-like net to capture small prey as they swim by. They also suspect that the odd angle of their arms and tentacles (which some have compared to elbows) helps ensure the long appendages don't get tangles."
Previously:
• Rare and magnificent deep-sea squid caught on camera (video)
• Delightful deepsea encounter with a wildly cute and weird piglet squid
