Collossal Squid Caught Intact

[{DSG}DarkRaven]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6385071.stm

New Zealand fishermen have caught what is expected to be a world-record-breaking colossal squid.
Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton said the squid, weighing an estimated 450kg (990lb),took two hours to land in Antarctic waters.

Local news said the Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni was about 10m (33ft) long, and was the first adult colossal squid landed intact.

One expert said calamari rings made from it would be like tractor tyres.

"I can assure you that this is going to draw phenomenal interest. It is truly amazing," Steve O'Shea from Auckland's University of Technology told local media.


http://content.imagesocket.com/images/CollosalSquid724.jpg


This is amazing, and when you look at that picture, remember that all that red is NOT blood. It's the coloration of the squid. Amazing. The rest of the article is behind the link, as usual.

[Pineconn]

Heh, I'm posting this from my school. :p :p

Holy crap, that's a big squid. Even all the people in my media center class are impressed! I should be working on my speech, though. Oh well.

I've never seen a red squid either. Mm... red calamari.

[{DSG}DarkRaven]

I've never seen a red squid either. Mm... red calamari.

The inside of the squid is not red, just like the inside of a lobster is neither brown nor red, as the shell is before and after cooking respectively. I can't say that I've seen a lot of squids in my day, but everybody loves octopi, and they come in all sorts of colors, ranging from red to black to brown with glowing blue circles. Some of them even change colors like a chameleon.

I can't imagine how they caught it and brought it aboard without destroying it. A creature like that being taken alive by nets, hooks and line? Incredible.

[Cloral]

Yeah, especially when you consider how aggressive most squid are. You'd expect that thing to tear the net to shreads.

[*b*]

Oh geeze, I hate those things. All I can think about is those little suction cups sticking to me and... ugh. Still, the fact that they managed to catch one of those things is impressive

[Pineconn]

Back at home.


The inside of the squid is not red, just like the inside of a lobster is neither brown nor red, as the shell is before and after cooking respectively. I can't say that I've seen a lot of squids in my day, but everybody loves octopi, and they come in all sorts of colors, ranging from red to black to brown with glowing blue circles. Some of them even change colors like a chameleon.

I wasn't really being literal... :D

Squids really are some amazing creatures. There are even stranger creatures down there, but I can't even describe their appearances as the English language has no words for them.

[ZTC]

friggin huge, jeez...

I'm pretty impressed that nothing got tore up when they caught that squid.

[The_Amaster]

Wow....the first giant squid ever caught. This is a scientific breakthrough, among other things. I mean, the giant squid, is like, the worlds largest invertebrate.

[Daarkseid]

Wow....the first giant squid ever caught. This is a scientific breakthrough, among other things. I mean, the giant squid, is like, the worlds largest invertebrate.

Actually, Giant Squid and Colossal Squid are separate species.

The latter being the larger of the two and what is shown in that picture.

[The_Amaster]

Eh, Potayto Potahto.....:shrug:

....

Okay, not really, they're different.

Still largest invertebrate.

[GhostOfStarmen]

Wo... I am interested on how smart that one is. I know Octopi have amazing abilities to figure out how to do tasks that hinder their goal... I wonder if the colossal version is any better at those kind of "puzzles".

[The_Amaster]

Interesting question...One the one hand, Squid are a lot dumber than Octopuses(Yes, that's the right term, I think, I know it's not Octopi.), on the other hand, the thing has to have a brain the size of Massachusets. Hmmmmmm....

[GhostOfStarmen]

Octopuses and Octopi both sound funny to me, and I think you are right about the plural. Anyhow, I just read more about them on wikipedia. Hooks on their suckers and huge beak? I don't think I want to be near that thing... Especially if it can find its way to you.

[erm2003]

Octopuses vs. Octopi. Actually, BOTH happen to be the correct plural form according to this (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/octopus).

It will be interesting to see the follow up on this and what they can learn from this creature. Quite a feat.