Deep Ocean: Collections
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The Case of the Mystery Squid
A Smithsonian specimen helped identify a new family of deep sea squid with long spindly legs.
From Vecchione, M., R. E. Young, A. Guerra, D. J. Lindsay, D. A. Clague, J. M. Bernhard, W. W. Sager, A. F. Gonzalez, F. J. Rocha, M. Segonzac. 2001. Worldwide observations of remarkable deep-sea squids. Science 294(5551):2505-2506.
The first clue arrived with a collection of eastern Pacific squids donated to the Smithsonian in 1995. One specimen didn’t fit into any known family of squids. Together with a slightly larger juvenile specimen in the collections and a paralarva (baby) from Hawaii, it led to the identification of a whole new family of squids: the Magnapinnidae, or bigfin squids.
A few years later researchers in deep-sea submersibles began spotting large and very strange squids. They had long spaghetti-like arms and tentacles that bent like elbows. They were so unusual they were nicknamed “mystery squid.” By comparing videos of these “mystery squid” with the juvenile bigfins in the Smithsonian’s collection, scientists identified the strange squids as adult bigfins. With the help of long-dead specimens, a modern-day mystery was solved.
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Deep Ocean Corals
Corals in the Smithsonian collection provide information about deep ocean diversity.
Allen G. Collins/NOAA
There are millions of animals in the Smithsonian collections. Many of the specimens—including these solitary corals—came from the deep ocean. Although they’re now dead and colorless, they have a lot to teach us about life in the sea today.
For example, as a quick glance at the collection cards shows, deep ocean specimens tell us where and at what depths particular species live. By comparing specimens collected at different times, researchers measure variations in a species’ form over time. Today they can even document changes in a species’ genes by extracting DNA from dried tissues. And because the collections were built over many years, they reveal changes in deep sea diversity. As human activities continue to impact the ocean, this knowledge will help us manage this fragile ecosystem.
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