Watch: Rare Deep-Sea Creature Walks on 13-Foot Legs at 10,800 Feet Deep

New footage from the Tonga Trench in the South Pacific has revealed a bigfin squid (Magnapinna) using its 13-foot-long tentacles to “walk” along the ocean floor. Captured 10,800 feet beneath the surface by an underwater rover from the Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, this sighting adds to the elusive nature of these creatures, with only 20 confirmed observations to date.

Bigfin squids are known for their immense depths of habitation and large, fin-like extensions that nearly match the length of their bodies. The largest recorded specimen stretched over 20 feet, though experts suggest they could potentially grow even longer, perhaps reaching up to 26 feet.

The Ocean Conservancy explains that bigfin squids may use their uniquely angled arms and tentacles, reminiscent of spiderwebs, to ensnare passing prey, preventing their long limbs from entangling.

Alan Jamieson, a deep-sea researcher at the University of Western Australia who captured the video, expressed to Live Science the rare excitement of encountering such a creature, noting that sightings typically occur by chance rather than through targeted searches.

The footage features what is believed to be a juvenile bigfin squid, indicated by the shorter length of its tentacles compared to adults. This particular observation was detailed in the journal Marine Biology in September.

Bigfin squids dwell in some of the deepest parts of the ocean, with the record for the deepest sighting being around 15,400 feet in the Kermadec Trench. Another sighting occurred deep in the Philippine Trench in January 2022.