A new type of large squid, the body alone reaching up to 23 feet (seven meters) long, has been spotted in the deep waters of several ocean basins, according to a report published in the 21 December 2001, issue of the journal Science. The open ocean covers more than two thirds of the Earth's surface, yet scientists know relatively little about its inhabitants. The fact that the squids were seen eight times within a few years, at similar depths in the Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans, indicates how little we know about life in the Earth's largest ecosystem, the authors write. The squids' arms were longer than those of any known squid species and held in an unusual position: spread outward from the body and then bent anteriorly. The authors speculate that the squid may be adult members of the recently-identified family, Magnapinnidae. Only juvenile squids in this family have been seen before. More research will be required, however, to classify the squid.