Rare deep sea ‘Octopus Squid’ discovered in Arabian sea by CMFRI scientists

Kochi, Nov 21 (IANS) In a rare breakthrough, scientists from the ICAR — Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) in Kochi have discovered a new species of deep-sea squid from the Arabian Sea — the only second confirmed species globally from the little-known genus Taningia.

The new species, named Taningia silasii, or the Indian octopus squid, has been formally described in the international journal Marine Biodiversity.

The specimen was collected from a depth of nearly 390 metres off the Kollam coast.

Measuring 45 cm in dorsal mantle length, the squid belongs to the family Octopoteuthidae, whose adult members uniquely lack tentacles, unlike most squid species.

Despite being a squid, its octopus-like appearance, with eight arms and no long feeding tentacles, has earned it the name “octopus squid”.

The research team was led by CMFRI Principal Scientist Geetha Sasikumar and Technical Officer Sajikumar K.K.

“We have been studying cephalopods in the Arabian Sea for over a decade, but this ‘octopus squid’ was unlike anything we had seen before,” Geetha said.

Until now, Taningia danae, found in the Atlantic Ocean, was the only known species of the genus.

DNA barcoding revealed more than 11 per cent genetic divergence from the Atlantic species, scientifically confirming it as a distinct species.

Sajikumar said that members of this genus are also remarkable for their potential to grow to giant sizes, with Taningia danae recorded at up to 2.3 metres in length and weighing more than 61 kg.

The newly discovered species has been named in honour of the late E.G. Silas, a pioneering marine biologist, former Director of CMFRI and former Vice Chancellor of Kerala Agricultural University, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to cephalopod research in India.

Shijin Ameri and Toji Thomas, both researchers at CMFRI, were also part of the discovery team.

Nearly 400 squid species have been identified worldwide, inhabiting environments ranging from shallow coastal waters to dark deep-sea trenches.

This new discovery adds significant scientific value to India’s deep-sea biodiversity research and offers fresh insights into the evolutionary diversity of squids.

–IANS

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