The Kraken is great and terrible. The largest squid in the world. The largest squid in the world: description, history and interesting facts What kinds of squid are there?
The largest size of a giant squid recorded by humans was 17.4 m. But despite this, scientists tend to think that this record is atypical for the main representatives of the genus of giant squid. The largest average size among mollusks is recorded among colossal squids. The length of the mantle of colossal squids is 2 times greater than that of giant squids.
The history of the study of the giant squid began in 1856 when a Danish scientist Japetus Steenstrup compared the size of the beak of a mollusk washed up on the coast of Denmark with the proportions of ordinary squid and became convinced that it could only belong to a huge animal. Having analyzed the facts of the discovery of huge parts of squid, as well as ancient legends of encounters with sea monsters, the scientist suggested that the giant squid really exists and described it in his works, giving it a name Architeuthis dux, which means "super squid prince".
But a live giant squid has never fallen into the hands of people. There were no photographs, much less video recordings, and all information about the giants was known only from the remains. The first meeting with a giant mollusk recorded on film occurred in 2006, when a 7 m long architeuthis was caught. The expedition was led by a Japanese biologist Tsunami Kubodera. The specimen caught was a female, lured from the depths by a small squid used as bait. However, it was not possible to take the giant alive - he died from numerous injuries received while climbing onto the ship.
A little earlier, in 2004, the same scientist photographed a living giant squid at depth for the first time. These photographs were the first photographs of living Architeuthis.
There is an opinion that the giant squid acts as an aggressor only in relation to its victims - various fish. However, humans have witnessed at least two instances of giant squid engaging in combat with sperm whales. In the first case, Soviet sailors saw a fight between a sperm whale and a squid, and there was no winner in the battle, because The sperm whale, having swallowed the body of the squid, suffocated in the arms of the tentacles of the half-dead Architeuthis.
The second case was recorded near a lighthouse in South Africa, when a giant squid fought with a baby sperm whale for an hour and a half, eventually defeating it.
For what reason squids engage in battle with sperm whales is not entirely clear. It is likely that sperm whales are, after all, the first to fight with mollusks, which constitute their main diet.
Video
Giant squid captured by deep-sea research vessel
Giant squid Architeuthis
Among the inhabitants of the deep sea, the giant squid is the most mysterious and little-studied representative. The first information about it dates back to the 4th century BC. A scientific description of the animal was compiled by Danish scientists in 1857. The study of parts of a dead individual began in 1861, when the sailors of a French ship managed to get them during one of their voyages.
Why giant
All individuals have a mantle 2.5 meters long, which helps them move quite quickly
Today, the giant squid is the largest representative of invertebrates. The maximum size from the tip of the limbs to the end of the small fins is about 8 meters.
If you do not take into account the hunting tentacles, the body of this inhabitant of the deep sea often reaches 5 m. The appearance of the giant squid is almost no different from ordinary representatives of the Mollusc type, the only difference is its enormous size.
Features of the giant squid
The huge squid is an invertebrate animal that lives in the oceans at great depths. It belongs to the phylum Mollusca, class Cephalopods, genus Architeutis (it constitutes an independent family called Architeutidae).
Miracle Tentacles
The animal's eyes reach 27–29 cm in diameter, and the pupil is 9–10. During research, it was found that these mollusks do not distinguish colors, but are able to see the slightest glow with minimal lighting at great depths.
A representative of the class Cephalopods has a massive beak, inside of which is a tongue or radula. To orient themselves in space, individuals use special organs called statocysts. Almost all mollusks have similar ones. They contain statoliths.
Where does it live?
The study of this amazing invertebrate animal continues today.
The giant squid is an unusual mollusk, distinguished by its large size, unique structure, hunting method and the most developed nervous system among representatives of the Cephalopod class.
All fans of the adventure film “Pirates of the Caribbean” remember the terrible and huge squid Kraken, which could easily sink any ship by breaking it with its massive tentacles. But few people know that the legends about the giant monster are not so far from the truth. Even the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle made records that mentioned the largest squid in the world, called Architeuthis in the 19th century. And although scientists today can describe in detail almost any marine inhabitant, the peculiarities of the life of the giant squid still remain a mystery to them.
Architeuthis - the largest squid on the planet
It was finally possible to verify that the giant squid was not an invention of seafarers in 1861. At that time, sailors on the French ship Alecton found part of a dead animal and brought it to the mainland for study. It is this time that can be called the official date of the study of Architeuthis.
At the end of the 19th century, biologists had another opportunity to study the giant mollusk in more detail. At first, the bodies of Architeuthis were found on the coast of Newfoundland, and then a similar situation was observed in New Zealand. Scientists have been able to establish that a massive release of giant squid occurs approximately once every 90 years and is associated with changes in the state of deep waters.
Study of Architeuthis in the natural environment
For more than a century, biologists have made futile attempts to study the behavior of the huge squid in its natural environment. But until the early 2000s, they only had to work with dead bodies of Architeuthis. In 2004, Japanese researchers finally managed to capture a squid in its natural habitat. Moreover, the resulting images made it possible to study the behavior of a huge mollusk during a hunt. To obtain such valuable information, biologists from the Land of the Rising Sun attached a camera to a bait lowered to a depth of 900 m. She recorded more than 400 frames while the architeuthis tried to free itself from the hook on which it had caught its tentacle.
As the pictures showed, the opinion about the slowness of the giant squid during the hunt was completely wrong. The animal moved at high speed and behaved quite aggressively. The first video of Architeuthis was obtained in 2006 by American biologist Scott Cassel. But despite all the information received, scientists have not yet been able to truly study the characteristics of the giant sea creature.
The maximum officially recorded length of the giant squid is 16.5 m. Smaller individuals are much more common. The mantle of an adult animal reaches a length of 2.25 m. The tentacles of Architeuthis (in addition to the hunters) are more than 5 meters long. Females of huge mollusks are larger and can reach a weight of 275 kg. The largest male discovered weighed 150 kg. Scientists were able to obtain such data after studying more than 130 found individuals.
According to unconfirmed reports, the largest squids live near Bermuda. According to sailors and fishermen, they were able to see giants reaching 20 m. In their opinion, real giants, similar to the Kraken described in legends, hide in deep waters, and their length can reach 50 m. But such information has not yet received official confirmation .
Nutritional Features
The diet of giant clams includes deep-sea fish, as well as other types of squid. When hunting, Architeuthis catches prey using suction cups located on its hunting tentacles. After capturing the prey, the squid sends it into its long beak, where it is crushed by the radula - a tongue covered with small teeth. After this, the food passes into the esophagus.
Since it has not yet been possible to catch several architeuthis in one place, biologists believe that the largest squid prefers to hunt alone. But due to the paucity of available data, such information can be called speculative.
Animals dangerous to architeuthis include the following marine inhabitants:
- sperm whale;
- polar shark;
- grind;
- blue shark.
Juveniles can serve as prey for other species of large fish. Most often, architeuthis are hunted by sperm whales. They have the ability to find the location of squids. This feature has greatly interested biologists, and they are trying to master the abilities of sperm whales. This would shed more light on the life of amazing giant mollusks, about which there are many legends.
Reproduction
Despite many attempts to study the world's largest squid, scientists have not been able to learn in detail the features of its reproduction. All data provided is considered to be indicative only. It has not yet been possible to keep Architeuthis in captivity, which would shed light on the peculiarities of their existence.
Biologists believe that the huge mollusk reaches sexual maturity at about three years of age. The female produces a huge number of eggs at a time, the total weight of which can reach 5 kg. Scientists managed to find postlarval specimens of Architeuthis off the coast of New Zealand. They are going to be placed in an aquarium, which will allow observing all stages of the animal’s development.
Research has shown that Architeuthis larvae are dispersed throughout the ocean. This explains the various locations of mass squid releases. But all giant mollusks are still classified as one huge population.
Are architeuthis dangerous for people?
Giant squids are rarely seen by people, which makes it difficult to fully appreciate their potential danger. In Japan, a young mollusk, 3 m long, allowed a diver to remove it and behaved quite calmly. However, to the director of a scientific film, who sank to a considerable depth and filmed Architeuthis, the animal seemed aggressive. At first it simply showed interest, but in the end it tried to remove the mask from the person. For the director, the meeting ended happily, but this led to thoughts that the giant squid should still be feared.
AND Whale Watching Associations obtained the first images of live giant squids in their natural environment. The same team took the first video of a live giant squid on December 4, 2006.
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Like all squid, the giant squid has a mantle, 8 arms (regular tentacles), and two trapping tentacles (the largest known tentacles of any cephalopod). The tentacles make up the bulk of the squid's enormous length, which makes it, with almost the same size, a much lighter animal than the sperm whale, the main enemy of the giant squid. Scientifically documented specimens have weighed several hundred kilograms.
The inner side of the tentacles is covered with hundreds of hemispherical suckers with a diameter of 2-6 cm. Along the circumference of each sucker there is a sharp jagged chitinous ring. Suckers are used to capture and hold prey. Round scars from suckers can often be found on the heads of sperm whales that have attacked giant squids. Each tentacle is divided into 3 regions: “wrist”, “hand” and “fingers”. On the wrist, the suction cups are located tightly, in 6-7 rows. The brush is wider and located closer to the end of the tentacle; the suckers on it are larger and arranged less frequently, in 2 rows. The fingers are located at the ends of the tentacles. The bases of the tentacles are arranged in a circle, in the center of which (like other cephalopods) is a beak, similar to the beak of a parrot.
At the back of the mantle are small fins used for locomotion. Like other cephalopods, the giant squid uses a jet mode of movement, drawing water into the mantle cavity and pushing it out through the siphon in leisurely pulsations. If necessary, he can move quite quickly - fill the mantle with water and, with muscle tension, forcefully push it through the siphon. Inside the mantle cavity there is also a pair of large gills used by the squid for breathing. It can release a cloud of dark ink to ward off predators.
The giant squid has a highly organized nervous system and a complex brain, which is of great interest to scientists. In addition, it has the largest eyes of any living organism (along with the Antarctic giant squid) - up to 27 cm in diameter with a 9 cm pupil. Large eyes allow the mollusk to detect the weak bioluminescent glow of organisms. It probably does not have the ability to distinguish colors, but can detect small differences in shades of gray, which is more important in extremely low light conditions.
The giant squid and other large species of squid have zero buoyancy in seawater due to the ammonium chloride solution contained in their body, which is lighter than water. Most fish maintain buoyancy in another way, using a swim bladder filled with gas for this purpose. Thanks to this property, giant squid meat is unattractive to humans.
Like all cephalopods, the giant squid has special statocyst organs for orientation in space. The age of the squid can be determined by looking at the "growth rings" on the statoliths inside these organs, using the same method used to determine the age of trees. Most of what is known about the age of giant squid comes from counting such rings and from undigested squid beaks found in the stomachs of sperm whales.
Size
The giant squid is the largest mollusk in body length and one of the largest in body length of all known modern invertebrates (formally longer than the nemertean Lineus longissimus). Some extinct cephalopods could reach even larger sizes. In terms of body mass, it is inferior to the colossal squid.
Data on the full length of discovered representatives of the giant squid have often turned out to be greatly exaggerated. Data on specimens reaching a length of 20 m or more are widespread, but do not have documentary evidence. It is possible that such measurements could actually be obtained by stretching the hunting tentacles, which are highly elastic.
Based on a study of 130 representatives of the species and beaks found in the stomachs of sperm whales, the maximum length of the mantle of the giant squid is determined to be 2.25 m, and the length with arms (but without hunting tentacles) rarely exceeds 5 m. The maximum total length with relaxed muscles (after attack death) from the end of the fins to the tips of the hunting tentacles is estimated at 16.5 m. The maximum weight is 275 kg for females and 150 kg for males.
Reproduction
The only animals known to prey on adult giant squid are sperm whales and polar sharks. Perhaps pilot whales also pose a danger to them. Juveniles can serve as prey for small deep-sea sharks and some other large fish. Scientists are trying to use the sperm whale's ability to find giant squids to observe the latter.
The giant squid is found in all oceans of the Earth. It is usually found near the continental slopes of the North Atlantic (Newfoundland, Norway, British Isles), the South Atlantic - near South Africa, in the Pacific Ocean - near Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Representatives of this species are relatively rare in tropical and polar latitudes. The vertical distribution is not well known; data on caught specimens and observations of the behavior of sperm whales suggests a fairly wide range of depths: from approximately 300 to 1000 m.
Species
The taxonomy of the giant squid (like many other squid genera) cannot be considered settled. Some researchers identify up to 8 species of the genus Architeuthis
- Architeuthis dux(Atlantic giant squid)
- Architeuthis hartingii
- Architeuthis japonica
- Architeuthis kirkii
- Architeuthis martensi(North Pacific giant squid)
- Architeuthis physeteris
- Architeuthis sanctipauli(Southern giant squid)
- Architeuthis stockii
However, there are no sufficient genetic or physiological prerequisites for identifying such a number of species. The small number of specimens studied, the difficulty of observing and studying giant squid in the wild, and tracking migration routes create serious problems for resolving issues of classification of the giant squid.
Most researchers believe that so far there is reason to talk about only one species (Architeuthis dux), distributed throughout the world's oceans.
History of the study
The first surviving descriptions of the giant squid were made by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle (4th century BC) and the Roman historian Pliny the Elder (1st century AD). Aristotle distinguished the 5-cubit-long giant squid (teuthus) from the common squid (teuthis). Pliny the Elder described giant squids in Natural History, with a head "the size of a barrel", with nine-meter tentacles and a weight of 320 kg.
The first images of an adult were taken in Kyoto Prefecture (Japan). A 4m long giant squid (with a 2m long mantle) was discovered near the surface of the water, caught and tied to a dock where it died within 24 hours. The body is now on display at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo.
The first photographs of a living giant squid in its natural environment were obtained on September 30, 2004 by Japanese scientists Tsunami Kuboderoi And Kyouichi Mori. It took them about two years of searching. The images were taken during their third trip to a known sperm whale hunting ground 970 km south of Tokyo, where they lowered a 900-meter cable baited with shrimp and squid, equipped with a flash camera, into the depths. After 20 attempts, the eight-meter giant squid attacked the bait and hooked its tentacle onto the hook. In the 4 hours it took him to free himself, the camera took more than 400 pictures. The tentacle remained attached to the bait, and DNA testing showed that it indeed belonged to a giant squid. The resulting images were published a year later, on September 27, 2005.
Among other things, the observations helped to establish the real behavior of the giant squid during hunting, which has been the subject of much speculation. Contrary to assumptions that the giant squid is sedentary, the images demonstrated the aggressive hunting habits of this animal.
In November 2006, American researcher Scott Cassel led an expedition to the Gulf of California, the main goal of which was to obtain video of a giant squid in its natural environment. The team used an original filming method: a specially designed camera was attached to the fin of a Humboldt squid. Using this method, it was possible to obtain a video that most likely captured a 12-meter giant squid. A year later, the video was used in a program about giant squids on the History Channel.
On December 4, 2006, a giant squid was captured on video near the Ogasawara Islands (1000 km south of Tokyo) by a team of researchers led by Tsunami Kubodera. It was a small female, 3.5 m long and weighing about 50 kg. The bait used by the scientists first attracted the attention of a smaller species of squid, which in turn was attacked by a giant squid. The female was brought onto the ship, but died during the process.
On December 29, 2015, a 3.7 m long giant squid was discovered and filmed in Toyama Bay, Honshu Island (300 km northwest of Tokyo).
In culture
Giant squids are supposedly the heroes of a science fiction story
The first mention of this single representative of the genus Mesonychoteuthis dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. The famous zoologist Robson G.K. described a colossal squid, the weight of which reached half a ton. In subsequent years, there was no information about it, and the giant creature was almost forgotten. But in 1970, the larvae of this deep-sea monster were found, and 9 years later an adult specimen more than a meter long was discovered. The world first learned about the existence of these mollusks in 1856. After the scientist Steenstrup decided to compare the size of the beak discovered on the ocean shore with the size of an ordinary squid. The result was shocking - according to the data obtained, it turned out that the mollusk must be simply huge.
Description
The colossal squid has an elongated torpedo-shaped body. The length of its mantle reaches three meters, and together with the tentacles - all ten. The weight of especially large representatives can be 500 kilograms. However, there is information about larger mollusks 20 meters long and weighing more than a ton, but this data is not documented.
The mantle is wide, the last third of its length is completed by a narrow, sharp tail, surrounded by powerful, thick, terminal fins. They make up almost half the length of the mollusk’s body and, when spread out, form a shape reminiscent of a heart. The mantle is soft, approximately 5-6 cm thick. The infundibular and occipital cartilages are thick, short, slightly curved, and in adult specimens lack tubercles.
The colossal squid has amazing eyes. The photo below gives you a good look at them. Consisting of two photophores, they are truly huge - their diameter reaches 27 centimeters. No known animal on the planet has such giant eyes.
The tentacles are equipped with two rows of round suckers on clubs, two rows of hooks located medially, and small lateral suckers. The squid also has powerful long hunting arms, massive at the base with a wide membrane and thin ends. On the gripping tentacles, or rather in their middle part, there are several pairs of hood-like hooks, and their lower part is equipped with suction cups.
The main weapon that the colossal squid possesses is its hard, powerful chitinous beak.
Habitats
The giant clam is found mainly in Antarctic waters, where it can form aggregations of several individuals. In the northern regions their numbers are smaller, and they hunt mostly alone. Squids have also been found off the coast of South Africa, New Zealand and South America.
The Antarctic colossal squid, the photo of which is posted here, is found at a depth of 2-4 thousand meters and practically does not float to the surface. This makes it difficult to study its behavior in natural conditions.
The hypothetical location of the mollusk can be determined by the temperature of the water surface. Thus, the greatest probability of encountering it is possible at a water temperature of -0.9 to 0 ºС. From December to March they can be seen in high Antarctic latitudes.
Dimensions
Sexual dimorphism is expressed somewhat unusually - female colossal squids are much larger than males. The remains of mollusks of both sexes were found in the stomachs of sperm whales. The length of their bodies was 80-250 centimeters, and their weight was up to 250 kilograms. The largest colossal squid in history was caught by New Zealand fishermen in 2007 in Antarctic waters. The length of his mantle was 3 m, the total length was 10 m, and his weight was 495 kg.
Features of nutrition and reproduction
Of course, little is known about the life of these giant mollusks, but scientists were able to identify a unique ability in them. Their body contains a large amount of ammonium chloride, which helps reduce specific gravity, which gives the squid neutral buoyancy. Thanks to this, they can cut through the water without moving. Thus, predators have the opportunity to camouflage themselves and wait for their prey. They grab prey that swims too close with their tentacles and tear it apart with hooks.
The giants feed mainly on luminous anchovies, mesopelagic fish, and Antarctic toothfish. However, cannibalism is not excluded in their genus. Adult mollusks can eat fry and immature individuals of their species.
Individuals become sexually mature when the length of the mantle is at least 1 meter and the weight is more than 25 kg. Spawning occurs in late winter or early spring.
Enemies
Despite its impressive size, the colossal squid, described above, has its enemies. The main one is the sperm whale. This was determined by the discovered remains of colossal squids in their stomachs. Albatrosses and Antarctic toothfish can feed on small immature individuals.
Naturally, humans are a particularly serious enemy of the deep-sea mollusk. Tender squid meat is used to prepare various dishes. However, if you make a traditional calamari dish from this giant, the diameter of the rings cut from it will be comparable to the diameter of tractor tires.
Cases of attack on a person
More precisely, their attacks on people have been written in many works of fiction. The most famous of them are the works of Jules Verne.
But there are also cases described in real life when a colossal squid attacked ships. Thus, one of the precedents occurred with French sailors during the round-the-world race.
According to one of their yachtsmen, Olivier de Kersuason, a mollusk grabbed their yacht by the stern just a few hours after they left Brittany. Sailors said that a deep-sea giant wrapped its thick tentacles, thicker than a human leg, around the ship and began to pull the ship into the sea. With two tentacles he blocked the ship's rudder. But fortunately, the yachtsmen did not have to fight him off. As soon as the yacht stopped, the mollusk loosened its grip and disappeared into the depths of the ocean.
As the sailors later said, the length of the squid’s body exceeded 8 meters, and if the creature had turned out to be more aggressive, it would have been quite capable of turning over and sinking the yacht.
Little-known predators
In total, scientists have recorded about 250 cases of human encounters with colossal squid, but only a few managed to see this giant alive. The scientists themselves did not have such an opportunity. They have to study only the remains extracted from the stomachs of sea predators, and bodies washed ashore or caught by sailors.
Although little known, the colossal squid is incomparable with any other representative of its class. Its dimensions and photos can amaze anyone. Deep-sea colossi, according to some sources, reach a length of 20 meters and weigh up to a ton.
How many years these giants live in the world remains a mystery. It is possible that quite a bit, since the lifespan of many already studied squid species is just over a year.