# Squids Got Elbows! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 28, 2008, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squids-got-elbows/474776 "2008-11-28T06:57:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squids-got-elbows/474776/1 "2008-11-28T06:57:44Z")
[Or at least this newly discovered species does.](http://www.scienceray.com/Biology/Marine-Biology/Discovery-Alien-of-the-Deep.366677) > [@](#): > > National Geographic news 24/11/08, reported the discovery of a previously unseen species of squid. > > The odd, “elbowed” squid was filmed 11/11/07, at a depth of 2.5 kilometres by the Shell Oil Company who were using an ROV (Remotely operated vehicle) in the Gulf of Mexico. Video of the squid in action can be seen [here.](http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=z81I4L5jRXI) ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squids-got-elbows/474776/2 "2008-11-28T07:56:24Z")
Now that’s a definitely creepy critter. What is that picture on the first article, what looks like a humongous fossilized giant squid on a trench? It can’t possibly be just that. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squids-got-elbows/474776/3 "2008-11-28T08:29:19Z")
Looks more like a giant fossil tree in a trench (which happens to look a bit squid-like if you squint). ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squids-got-elbows/474776/4 "2008-11-28T08:34:15Z")
Whew! For a moment I thought one of our Canadian Dopers ran afoul of a malevolent mollusk! ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squids-got-elbows/474776/5 "2008-11-28T09:27:38Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > Looks more like a giant fossil tree in a trench (which happens to look a bit squid-like if you squint). Yes, that’s what I thought. But why on Earth would they put a photo of a fossil tree in that article??? ---
**Author:** ![Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d9b06d/32.png) [@Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boozahol_Squid_P.I)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squids-got-elbows/474776/6 "2008-11-28T10:12:59Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Whew! For a moment I thought one of our Canadian Dopers ran afoul of a malevolent mollusk! And here _I_ was, hoping someone had stocked my pantry with macaroni. ---
**Author:** ![dawson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@dawson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dawson)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squids-got-elbows/474776/7 "2008-11-28T11:21:59Z")
The Maple Leafs should sign him up. He’d be great in the corners. ---
**Author:** ![criminey.jicket](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@criminey.jicket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/criminey.jicket)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squids-got-elbows/474776/8 "2008-11-28T14:47:09Z")
What’s next? Clams with legs? ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squids-got-elbows/474776/9 "2008-11-28T16:44:29Z")
I swear I’ve got a photo of that thing from a few years ago. I’m serious. I found it somewhere on the net while doing Cthulhu research The article does say it was first photographed last year. Is it possible that I’ve got a pic of a closely related species? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squids-got-elbows/474776/10 "2008-11-28T17:02:27Z")
I don’t know why people keep fucking around with Area 51, UFO’s, Big Foot and Nessie. The more I learn about squids, the more I become to know that they are much stranger and scarier than any of them and they flank our coasts today. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squids-got-elbows/474776/11 "2008-11-28T17:08:07Z")
Serious question- How smart are squids? I know that at least some species of octopus are smart enough to unscrew jar lids to get at food and to solve various other puzzles. How smart are squid? And would a giant squid, having a giant brain, be smarter? ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squids-got-elbows/474776/12 "2008-11-28T17:39:26Z")
Heh. Gotta love this place, where someone can just casually say, “I found it somewhere on the net while doing Cthulhu research.” [Clams got legs!](http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd69/brujaja/clamlegs.png) ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squids-got-elbows/474776/13 "2008-11-28T17:54:28Z")
Found it! [This picture](http://s11.photobucket.com/albums/a151/doccathode/?action=view¤t=squidE.jpg) is from 2002. IIRC the article I lifted it from listed it as a mystery squid. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squids-got-elbows/474776/14 "2008-11-28T18:02:00Z")
D’oh! Rereading the article reveals > [@](#): > > The squid appears to be a relative of “Magnapinna” squid - or “Bigfin” squid - first discovered in 2001, sightings of which are extremely rare - no adult samples have yet been scientifically examined. So it may be my image was of this new species before it was identified, or it could just be a juvenile Bigfin.