CMFRI scientists discover rare deep-sea ‘octopus squid’ in Arabian Sea

Kochi: In a remarkable 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 second confirmed species of the little-known genus Taningia worldwide.
The new species, named Taningia silaasi, or Indian octopus squid, has been officially reported in the international journal Marine Biodiversity.
The specimen was collected from a depth of about 390 metres off the Kollam coast.
With a dorsal mantle length of 45 cm, this squid belongs to the Octoputeuthidae family, whose larger members lack tentacles, while most squid species do.
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 this genus.
DNA barcoding revealed a genetic divergence of over 11 percent from the Atlantic species, scientifically confirming its identity as a distinct species.
Sajikumar said that members of this genus are also unique for their ability to grow to enormous sizes, with Taningia danae having been recorded as long as 2.3 meters and weighing over 61 kg.

The newly discovered species is named in honor of the late E.G. Silas, a renowned marine biologist, former director of CMFRI, and former vice-chancellor of Kerala Agricultural University, for his outstanding contributions to cephalopod research in India.
CMFRI researchers Shijin Ameri and Toji Thomas were also part of the discovery team.
Nearly 400 squid species have been identified worldwide, living in environments ranging from shallow coastal waters to deep-sea trenches.

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