--- title: "Forgotten for 70 Years: Museum Discovers Squid Creating a New Family" description: "🦑 **Sensation in biology**: A squid specimen forgotten for 70 years in a museum turned out to be a new family! 🧬 Scientists described Mobydickia poseidonii — a creature found in a sperm whale's stomach back in 1955. This is the first new family of squids since 1998. 🌊 #Science #Biology #Discoveries #Ocean #MobyDick" date: 2026-08-16T20:12:39.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/forgotten-squid-new-family-mobydickia-poseidonii-discovery-2025 tags: [marine-biology, squid-discovery, taxonomy, mobydickia-poseidonii, scientific-research] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Forgotten for 70 Years: Museum Discovers Squid Creating a New Family ![Rare squid of a newly discovered family, found in a museum after 70 years](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/16/novoe-semeystvo-kalmarov-mobydickia-poseidonii-otkrytie-2025/novoe-semeystvo-kalmarov-mobydickia-poseidonii-otkrytie-2025-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - A new family of squids, Mobydickidae, was discovered based on a specimen from 1955. - The species was named Mobydickia poseidonii in honor of the novel and mythology. - The discovery was the first in 27 years in the taxonomy of oceanic squids. - The study is based on a single specimen without the possibility of DNA analysis. In the world of biology, an event has occurred that can be called a rare gift of fate for science. Researchers from the Institute of Marine Sciences in Barcelona (Spain) have made a sensational discovery that rewrites the taxonomic tree of marine inhabitants. A squid specimen, forgotten on museum shelves for almost seven decades, turned out to be the only known representative of a completely new family. This creature, which for decades was considered an ordinary cephalopod mollusk, has now gained the status of a unique biological phenomenon. ### An accidental find in a sperm whale's stomach The story of this discovery began long before 2026, in 1955–1956, during a whaling expedition in the harsh Antarctic waters. Researcher Malcolm Clark extracted this strange organism from the stomach of a male sperm whale. For a long time, the specimen was simply stored in collections, attracting little attention. After Clark's death in 2013, his collection was transferred to the Natural History Museum in London, and then sent to Barcelona for a comprehensive review and study of oceanic squid diversity. It was during this routine but important process that a group of experts — Sam Arnold, David Nos, Raquel Saez-Liante, and Fernando Angel Fernandez-Alvarez — noticed an anomaly. A detailed analysis, the results of which were published in July 2025 in the authoritative journal *Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society*, showed that the anatomy of this creature does not fit into any of the existing classifications. ### The birth of the new family Mobydickidae Scientists decided to create a new family named **Mobydickidae**. The only species in this family was named *Mobydickia poseidonii*. The choice of the genus name was dictated by two factors: the place of discovery (inside a sperm whale, referring to Herman Melville's novel "Moby Dick") and the unusually light coloration of the squid's body. The specific name *poseidonii* was given in honor of the Greek god of the sea, Poseidon, as the specific hooks on the squid's tentacles resemble his famous trident. Externally, the creature had a dorsal mantle length of about 175 mm, a soft light body, and a short tail. However, the main surprise for scientists was the complete absence of bioluminescent organs. For deep-sea squids, the ability to glow is a standard feature, so the absence of this mechanism became one of the key arguments for separating the species into a separate evolutionary branch. ### Contradictory data and limitations of the study Despite the sensational nature of the discovery, researchers emphasize a serious caveat: all conclusions are based on a single, incomplete specimen. Because the specimen was stored for almost 70 years, it was not possible to obtain a DNA sequence, which deprives scientists of the opportunity to conduct a genetic comparison with other species. Furthermore, the exact habitat of the squid remains unknown. The fact that it was found in a sperm whale's stomach does not guarantee that it lived exactly where the whale ate it, as these animals cover huge distances during migrations and hunting. ### The significance of the discovery for science This discovery became the first description of a new family of oceanic squids since 1998, when the family *Magnapinnidae* (squids with large fins) was described. Due to its uniqueness, *Mobydickia poseidonii* was included by the World Register of Marine Species in the list of the 10 most remarkable marine discoveries of 2025. This case vividly demonstrates that even in the era of satellite monitoring and deep-sea robots, museum archives remain an irreplaceable source of new knowledge, holding in their showcases the keys to the riddle of evolution. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: When was the squid Mobydickia poseidonii discovered? **A:** Physically, the specimen was extracted from a sperm whale's stomach in 1955-1956, but it was described as a new species only in 2025. ### Q: Why was the squid named after Moby Dick? **A:** The name was given in honor of Herman Melville's novel, as the squid was found inside a sperm whale and had a light coloration. ### Q: Was it possible to conduct a DNA analysis of the squid? **A:** No, due to long-term storage (almost 70 years), it was not possible to obtain a DNA sequence.