Magnapinna Squid

A Magnapinna squid was video taped in the Gulf of Mexico on November 11, 2007, by the Shell Oil Company. At the time that the footage was taken, Shell was in the middle of a deep sea oil drilling and development project. The clip was taken a mile and a half underwater using a remotely operated vehicle with a submersible camera.

The video of the squid is considered by some to resemble an "alien-like" creature.National Geographic: Alien-like squid filmed (November 24, 2008)

The rare footage of the Magnapinna was obtained and made public by National Geographic. Very little is known about the species. Most of the information has been gathered from videos. Scientists speculate that the length of the Magnapinna is aproximately 5 to 23 feet long. The Magnapinna also has ten appendages. The arms seem to have an elbow like structure, which the tentacles hang from.

Bruce Robison of the Montery Bay Aquarium Research Institute of California theorizes that, "Judging from that structure, we think the animal feeds by dragging its arms and the ends of its tentacles along the sea floor as it drifts slowly above it."National Geographic: Alien-like squid filmed (November 24, 2008)

While oil companies are spending more time underwater and diving deeper then ever before for oil drilling purposes, they are increasingly coming in contact with more and more rare species. The released video shows how oil corporations and biologists are forming relationships to help research deep sea animals. The partnership has drawn criticism since it puts the two groups in the position of a possible conflict of interest.National Geographic: Alien-like squid filmed (November 24, 2008)