WORLD'S LARGEST GIANT SQUID
Fishermen in New Zealand may have captured the largest Colossal squid ever recorded. It may be the first time a Colossal squid has been seen alive.
The beast, weighing 450 kilograms (990 pounds), was eating a Patagonian toothfish (Chilean sea bass) hooked by fishermen when it was captured in the deep, frigid waters in the Ross Sea near Antarctica. The squid was reported to be 10 meters (33 feet) in length and took more than two hours to land.
The Colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) -- a marine mollusk related to cuttlefish, octopus, and giant squid -- is one of the least known sea animals. They are believed to grow up to 14 meters (45 feet) in length and feed on large fish and other squid in the deep ocean using bioluminescence, according to Wikipedia. Sperm whales, which sometimes bear scars from the hooked tentacles of the colossal squid, are thought to be the only predator of adult squid, which can dive to depths exceeding 2200 meters. New Zealand researchers say they hope the capture can shed more light on the elusive species.
Photo courtesy of the New Zealand Fisheries department
"On-going examination of this giant will help to unlock some of the mysteries of the deep ocean. Even basic questions such as such as how large does this species grow to, and how long does it live for are not yet known," New Zealand Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton said in a statement announcing the catch. "On-going examination of this giant will help to unlock some of the mysteries of the deep ocean. Even basic questions such as such as how large does this species grow to, and how long does it live for are not yet known."
In 2005 Japanese researchers captured the first video footage of a live giant squid, a relative of the Colossal squid, off the coast of Japan. The video quickly became a sensation.
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Fishermen in New Zealand may have captured the largest Colossal squid ever recorded. It may be the first time a Colossal squid has been seen alive.
The beast, weighing 450 kilograms (990 pounds), was eating a Patagonian toothfish (Chilean sea bass) hooked by fishermen when it was captured in the deep, frigid waters in the Ross Sea near Antarctica. The squid was reported to be 10 meters (33 feet) in length and took more than two hours to land.
The Colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) -- a marine mollusk related to cuttlefish, octopus, and giant squid -- is one of the least known sea animals. They are believed to grow up to 14 meters (45 feet) in length and feed on large fish and other squid in the deep ocean using bioluminescence, according to Wikipedia. Sperm whales, which sometimes bear scars from the hooked tentacles of the colossal squid, are thought to be the only predator of adult squid, which can dive to depths exceeding 2200 meters. New Zealand researchers say they hope the capture can shed more light on the elusive species.
Photo courtesy of the New Zealand Fisheries department
"On-going examination of this giant will help to unlock some of the mysteries of the deep ocean. Even basic questions such as such as how large does this species grow to, and how long does it live for are not yet known," New Zealand Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton said in a statement announcing the catch. "On-going examination of this giant will help to unlock some of the mysteries of the deep ocean. Even basic questions such as such as how large does this species grow to, and how long does it live for are not yet known."
In 2005 Japanese researchers captured the first video footage of a live giant squid, a relative of the Colossal squid, off the coast of Japan. The video quickly became a sensation.
