Kochi: In a rare 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 only second confirmed species globally from the little-known genus Taningia.

The new species, named Taningia silasii, or the Indian octopus squid, has been formally described in the international journal Marine Biodiversity.

The specimen was collected from a depth of nearly 390 metres off the Kollam coast.

Measuring 45 cm in dorsal mantle length, the squid belongs to the family Octopoteuthidae, whose adult members uniquely lack tentacles, unlike most squid species.

Despite being a squid, its octopus-like appearance, with eight arms and no long feeding tentacles, has earned it the name “octopus

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