Global distribution and depth of the Bigfin squid Magnapinna spp

Le résumé fourni par la source

Abstract The Bigfin squid Magnapinna spp. is elusive and rarely encountered, yet its charismatic morphology of large fins and extraordinarily long tentacle filaments makes it an instantly recognisable deep-sea genus by both scientific and non-scientific audiences. The striking visual imagery of in-situ observations has resulted in as many records being published online via social media as they are in the scientific literature. Here we collate all known sightings of Magnapinna spp. across all reporting formats. In total we collated 46 individual sightings that includes 15 from the Gulf of Mexico (32.6%), ten from the Indian Ocean (21.7%), ten from the Atlantic Ocean (21.7%), nine from the Pacific Ocean (19.6%), and two from the Caribbean Sea (4.3%). Nineteen of these observations (41.3%) were published in eight scientific papers, while the remaining 27 (58.7%) were reported in online video repositories, news articles, social media posts or other online outlets. There were no reports from the polar regions and the farthest north and south it has been sighted is 28.5°N and 37.2°S respectively. However, seventeen records of captured specimens, that are also collated and discussed, show they are present to at least 44.1°N. Based on the in-situ records, Magnapinna spp. has a mean depth of 2992 m ± 1067 s.d. (range = 1578–6212 m), however nearly half of the specimen records show minimum depths in the top 600 m. The specimen records show that Magnapinna spp. is collected on average every 8.1 years while it is observed in situ every 0.8 years on average (with 73.9% of these observations from the last 20 years). This study places emphasis on how non-traditional scientific sources – particularly independent data collation initiatives and industry-generated footage - are valuable for resolving large-scale patterns in such charismatic genus.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.