Magnapinnidae
| Bigfin squids | |
|---|---|
 |
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| The long-arm squid filmed by DSV Alvin, possibly an adult Magnapinna sp. |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Cephalopoda |
| Order: | Teuthida |
| Suborder: | Oegopsina |
| Family: |
Magnapinnidae Vecchione & Young, 1998 |
| Genus: |
Magnapinna Vecchione & Young, 1998 |
| Species | |
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Magnapinna atlantica |
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Magnapinna atlantica
Magnapinna pacifica (type)
Magnapinna talismani
Magnapinna sp. B
Magnapinna sp. C
Bigfin squids are a group of rarely seen cephalopods with a distinctive morphology. They are placed in the genus Magnapinna and family Magnapinnidae. Although the family is known only from larval, paralarval, and juvenile specimens, some authorities believe adult specimens have also been seen. Several videos have been taken of animals nicknamed the "long-arm squid", which appear to have a similar morphology. Since none of the seemingly adult specimens have ever been captured or sampled, it remains uncertain if they are of the same genus or only distant relatives.
The first record of this family comes from a specimen (Magnapinna talismani) caught off the Azores in 1907. However, due to the damaged nature of the find, very little information could be discerned and it was classified as a mastigoteuthid, first as Chiroteuthopsis talismani and later as Mastigoteuthis talismani. In 1956, a similar squid (Magnapinna sp. C) was caught in the South Atlantic, but little was thought of it at the time. The specimen was illustrated in Alister Hardy's The Open Sea (1956), where it was identified as Octopodoteuthopsis.
During the 1980s, two additional mature specimens were found in the Atlantic (Magnapinna sp. A), and three more were found in the Pacific (Magnapinna pacifica). Researchers Michael Vecchione and Richard Young were the chief investigators of the finds, and eventually linked them up to the two previous specimens, erecting the family Magnapinnidae in 1998, with Magnapinna pacifica as the type species. Of particular interest was the very large fin size, up to 90% of the mantle length, that was responsible for the animals' common name.
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