Operating in the hadal zone at depths reaching 6,212 meters, the bigfin squid is just one of ten extraordinary organisms that challenge traditional biological classification, according to discoverwildlife.com. Mother Nature has experimented with diverse body plans since life evolved more than four billion years ago, producing organisms that originated on Earth but resemble alien life forms when compared to recognizable species.
Bigfin Squids Resemble Slender Man
Bigfin squids can grow up to 8 meters in length, placing them slightly behind their shallower-dwelling cousins: giant squids at 12 meters and colossal squids at 14 meters, as reported by discoverwildlife.com. Most of the extraordinary length comes from streamer-like tentacles extending perpendicular to the body, forming unnerving elbows that create an uncanny resemblance to the fictional character Slender Man.
The species has only been observed 70 times since its first sighting in 1988. In 2007, a remotely operated submersible filmed a bigfin squid while retrieving oil drilling equipment from the seabed, thrusting the deep-sea organism into the public eye.
Taxonomic Puzzles from Pigbutt Worms to Tully Monsters
Discovery of the pigbutt worm—scientifically named Chaetopterus pugaporcinus—reveals a segmented body featuring a highly inflated middle segment that helps the animal maintain neutral buoyancy within the oxygen minimum zone, discoverwildlife.com noted. Similarly, the Tully Monster (Tullimonstrum), discovered in the 1950s in the Mazon Creek fossil beds of Illinois, features the body of a squid, cuttlefish fins, stalked eyes, and a trunk-like proboscis tipped with a toothy beak.
Another ancient organism, Sollasina cthulhu, lived on the seafloor roughly 430 million years ago and walked on its tube feet. Meanwhile, the extinct Typhloesus, discovered in 330-million-year-old rocks in Montana and first described in 1973, possesses a spindle-shaped body with a well-defined tail fin that left scientists calling it an “alien goldfish.”
Siphonophores and Zombie Worms Challenge Animal Definitions
Siphonophores stretch the definition of what constitutes an individual animal by comprising thousands of specialized zoids. A giant siphonophore belonging to the genus Apolemia was discovered off the coast of Western Australia in 2020 and estimated to be 47 meters long, making it the longest animal ever recorded, according to discoverwildlife.com.
In 2002, a submersible filming a decaying gray whale in the Monterey Canyon off California captured footage of feathery red plumes belonging to Osedax worms. Female zombie worms secrete acid from specialized roots to bore into bones, while males live inside the female’s protective tube in groups of up to 100.
Common Questions About Deep-Sea Organisms and Recent Elections
How deep can bigfin squids submerge?
Sightings of bigfin squids have been recorded as deep as 6,212 meters in the hadal zone, making them the deepest dwelling squid known to science.
What is the reported length of the Apolemia siphonophore discovered in 2020?
Researchers estimated the giant siphonophore found off the coast of Western Australia in 2020 to be 47 meters long.
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