Head to head
Bigfin Squid vs Giant Squid
Bigfin Squid
VS Giant Squid
Both squids are famous for their extreme proportions, but they achieve their size and mystery in very different ways.
| Bigfin Squid | Giant Squid | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Magnapinna | Architeuthis dux |
| Arm posture | Extraordinarily long arms bent at a right angle | Two long feeding tentacles extended to seize prey |
| Body size | A relatively small, gelatinous main body | Body up to about 13 metres including tentacles |
| Observation history | Rarely observed, known mostly from ROV footage | Not filmed alive until 2012 |
| Eyes | Not documented as unusually large | Largest eyes of any known animal |
| Feeding strategy | May trail its arms like fishing lines | Seizes prey at a distance with two feeding tentacles |
| Conservation status | Not Evaluated | Least Concern |
| Habitat | Ocean | Ocean |
Bigfin Squid vs Giant Squid: common questions
Which one has famously huge eyes?
The giant squid is the one with famously huge eyes, up to 27 centimetres across and the largest known in the animal kingdom, a feature not documented as unusual in the bigfin squid.
Which one holds its arms bent at a right angle?
The bigfin squid is the one with this unusual posture, holding its ten extraordinarily long arms bent sharply at a right angle, a habit not shared by the giant squid's more typical feeding-tentacle strike.
Which one was first filmed alive more recently?
The giant squid was first filmed alive in 2012, while the bigfin squid remains rarer still, known almost entirely from occasional footage captured by deep-sea submersibles and remotely operated vehicles.