Solly
April 24th 2003, 11:09 AM
Giant Squid found
Last month fishermen in the icy Ross Sea encountered a deep-sea giant.
Almost 20 feet (6 meters) long, with spiked tentacles and huge, protruding eyes, it was feeding on Patagonian toothfish caught on longlines set by the fishermen.
The creature was hauled aboard and taken to New Zealand for analysis. This confirmed the encounter as the first live sighting of a colossal squid.
Usually called Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, scientists who examined the Ross Sea specimen coined the term "colossal squid" to distinguish it from giant squid (Architeuthis). They say the species is the biggest and most fearsome squid known to science and could grow to 40 feet (12 meters) in length—longer than a whale.
Thought to be only the second intact example ever recovered, the massive cephalopod was armed with four huge beaks and rotating hooks along its tentacles and arms.
Auckland University of Technology research associate Kat Bolstad, also talking to the BBC, added: "This animal, armed as it is with the hooks and the beak that it has, not only is colossal in size but is going to be a phenomenal predator and something you are not going to want to meet in the water."
Richard Ellis:
"This creature, like Architeuthis, is probably a deep-water dweller," he said. "What earthly—or oceanic—reason would a squid have for attacking a ship? I think both these squid are fish-eaters. The long tentacles of Architeuthis and the hooks of Mesonychoteuthis support this contention, and do not indicate any predilection to attack whales, people or ships."
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/04/0423_030423_seamonsters.html]National Geographic
Last month fishermen in the icy Ross Sea encountered a deep-sea giant.
Almost 20 feet (6 meters) long, with spiked tentacles and huge, protruding eyes, it was feeding on Patagonian toothfish caught on longlines set by the fishermen.
The creature was hauled aboard and taken to New Zealand for analysis. This confirmed the encounter as the first live sighting of a colossal squid.
Usually called Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, scientists who examined the Ross Sea specimen coined the term "colossal squid" to distinguish it from giant squid (Architeuthis). They say the species is the biggest and most fearsome squid known to science and could grow to 40 feet (12 meters) in length—longer than a whale.
Thought to be only the second intact example ever recovered, the massive cephalopod was armed with four huge beaks and rotating hooks along its tentacles and arms.
Auckland University of Technology research associate Kat Bolstad, also talking to the BBC, added: "This animal, armed as it is with the hooks and the beak that it has, not only is colossal in size but is going to be a phenomenal predator and something you are not going to want to meet in the water."
Richard Ellis:
"This creature, like Architeuthis, is probably a deep-water dweller," he said. "What earthly—or oceanic—reason would a squid have for attacking a ship? I think both these squid are fish-eaters. The long tentacles of Architeuthis and the hooks of Mesonychoteuthis support this contention, and do not indicate any predilection to attack whales, people or ships."
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/04/0423_030423_seamonsters.html]National Geographic