The Giant Squid

[Qop 0]

The giant squid

There is a squid out there that inhabits nearly every sea on earth. There are probably thousands in the sea. They get to grow to about 18 meters long. They have the largest eyes in the animal kingdom. But then why is it that nobody has ever been able to catch so much as a snapshot of them?

Introduction to the Architeuthis dux:
The Architeuthis dux, or more commonly know as the Giant Squid, is the largest invertibrate alive. They live all over the world at depths of 200 to 700 m. It has huge tentacles for grasping food and bringing it to it's beak. Some facts:

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Length: 18 meter - 59 feet
Weight: 900 kg - 1.980 lb
Longest tentacle: 9 m - 30 ft
Eye-size: Size of a volleybal (!)

A baby Giant squid which washed ashore

Architeuthis dux is latin for " King of the Giant Squids" (dux=king and Architeuthidae=Giant Squid), and he really is the king. Measuring 18 meters from head to feet + 9m tentacles, this animal couldn't be called anything but BIG.

Where are they?
'So, if they're so big, then I'd like to see a picture of them.' Strangely, there has never been taken a picture of a Giant Squid so far, as they are very shy creatures. Even more absurd, until now, there is only one occasion on which a Architeuthis dux was seen. A US navy boat was doing an exersize when suddenly an enormous squid surfaced next to them, and happily swam along for several hundred meters until it dived down. In this time, nobody was in the right state of mind to run and get a camera. The marine-guys said it was almost ten-twelve meters long, with huge tentacles behind it.

This is how our ancestors saw the Giant Squid:
as a giant man-eating monster

So this is one report so far. And scientists estimate there are probably thousands of them deep down. What on earth drove them to that conclusion?

The explanation is very simple and very convincing. The cachalot, a giant wale, dives down to great depths. Not for fun of course, as the pressure down there is stunningly high, but for food. Deep down lies the kingdom of the squids and that happens to be a cachalot's favourite meal. Sometimes (or actually, fairly frequently) cachalot's wash upon shores. Most of the times these animals will die. Then they go to a lab for disecting etc. Because of this, we have come to know a lot about them. Some cachalots had strange suction cup-like marks on their bodies. This convinced some scientists already that they hunted Giant Squids.

This is a cachalot

But then they cut open it's stomach. They pulled out long tentacles with suction cups of up to 2 inches out of the cachalot's stomach, beaks of squids, etc. This truly convinced every scientist that squids were on the menu. And it convinced them the Architeuthis dux wasn't a myth, for the tentacles pulled from the stomachs were as thick as a man's arm.

Seeing as they know that cachalots need quite an amount of food, and seeing as we know how much cachalots exist, we can make an estimate of how much Giant Squids are alive.

Seek the Squid!
As a result of this conclusion, many scientists went crazy a discovering a new animal so big that had lied undiscovered under liters of water for so many years. Instantly, team after team of anxious scientists rushed out to get underwater subs, camera's, boats and more equipment.

Some scientists were confident cachalots were the key to succes; they attached cameras to the backs of them and watched as they dived. But everytime they managed to get a camera on a cachalot's back, it broke loose due to the enormous depth or because cachalot's like to rub themselves against each other if they're itchy. So that didn't work.

Others tried mini-subs that they could control from above. This worked better, as they at least reached the bottom. But no light penetrates from above at those depths, so they needed to send a blinding flashlight with it. And because the Giant Squids are very shy, they didn't dare get near the light. And of course they could outswim the robot easily, as it's speed was a laugh.

One of described subs

Conclusion
So there are thousands of stupid squids swimming out there for years without showing so much as a tentacle of them! Maybe there still are some great mysteries that lie hidden from us, yet to be discovered.

Qop

[tattoopunk 0]

Amazing isnt it. The only times they have been seen is upon washing up on shore. I can't wait for the day we get to see some actual footage of one of these wonderous creatures skirting through the depth os the ocean. I assume that they must move amazingly fast underwater if they move like a regular squid. they are so amazing, i would die to see one in its natural habitat. Sadly, you know the second we find one, its going to go into captivity right next to Shamu at sea world. So amazing man, thanks for starting this topic, I never would have thought to.

[Qop 0]

Thx for the reply but I wasn't finished yet ;)But yes you're right, it's nearly as they are invisible o.O

[banjosforpeace 0]

Conclusion

So there are thousands of stupid squids swimming out there for years without showing so much as a tentacle of them! Maybe there still are some great mysteries that lie hidden from us, yet to be discovered.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Stupid, they are not. In fact, encephalopods (squid and octopi) may be some of the most evolved creatures on the planet. They communicate and camoflage by rapidly changing the pigment of their skin. Millions of little cells flicker on command. Independent and coordinated use of their limbs is a spectacle few other living things could ever dream of. They can even change their shape to crawl through the smallest of spaces! And have you ever seen an octopus open a jar to get a crab out of it??? Amazing!

 

People are consumed with the idea of aliens from other planets. Well, there's a whole lot of aliens deep in the oceans. They are called octopi and squid. The largest of which can take down a whale. The smallest can be beautiful and/or deadly. No wonder there are sea monster stories out there!

 

I caught a picture of this squid hanging out by my computer!

[Qop 0]

Hear, hear!

 

As for you squidfriend there, here's a notic:

 

Warning!

Squid hanging on you computer can be dangerous! It's your own risk!

 

[amusedtoe 0]

Giant squids own you. On the other hand regular sized squids are quite yummy for eating, especially deep fried.

[kap43 0]

If I fell off of a boat in the middle of the ocean and saw one of those guys swimming about, I'd probably die of shock! HAHA!

 

All I can ever think of is 20,000 League Under The Sea when I think of the giant Squid. I disected a squid for class a while back, and just seeing one of them scaled up about 100 times and jetting through the murky depths of the deep would be extremely intimidating!

 

Their bodies are so stream-lined and aero dynamic- made absolutely for easy jet propulsion through the unbearable water pressure. The tenticles could easily rip a human apart before even getting to shred the body with it's power beak. And those eyes! Eager hunters that could spot you in an instant! Oh man, it gives me the shakes....

 

I don't think that they'd instinctively pick off a distressed human being, but from looking at the terrible gouges on some sperm whales, the giant squid can deffinitely defend itself. Haha! And you know that there's gotta be one King Squid chillin' in the most inhabital region of the seas.....

 

So what the hell are we doing looking for it?! Man, those researchers have balls! I've seen the Abyss- that water pressure down there is not a joke. The level of depth that the giant squid call home is not called the Hadal zone for nothing

 

Anyway, I'm done expressing my fears for the deep sea. But I do agree with the guy above in that reseachers need to stop looking up for intelligent, alien forms of life and start looking down for the mysteries that actively swim right beneath our noses. This was a great subject, thanks for the post. Late.

 

 

-KAP