Colossal squid: description, size, photo. Colossal squid All squid belong to the same species

The colossal squid, also called the Antarctic giant squid, belongs to the Cranchia family. This species lives in the waters north of Antarctica to the southern regions. South America, South Africa and the southern tip of New Zealand. It feeds at great depths. For adults, it reaches 2.2 km, and for young squids it reaches 1 km. These deep sea dwellers are the main prey for sperm whales. They make up 75% of the biomass that these whales consume.

Description

This species is one of the largest known invertebrates. The length of the mantle is 2-4 meters. The maximum total length reaches 12-14 meters and weighs up to 750 kg. These parameters were established through analysis of small and immature samples. But catching a large individual is extremely difficult, since it lives at great depths.

The largest specimen was caught in February 2007 by New Zealand fishermen in the Ross Sea. They were catching Antarctic toothfish, and it just so happened that the colossal squid also hunted them. He got caught in the net and was taken to the ship. There he was frozen and taken to the port of destination. Its original length was estimated at 4.5 meters and weighs 495 kg. After thawing, the tentacles contracted, and the total length was 4.2 meters. At first, they thought that it was a male, but after a thorough examination it turned out that they had caught a female.

In this sample, the eyes reached 27 cm in diameter. These are the largest eyes of all known animals. But measurements were made in a dead individual, and in a living one, they most likely reached a diameter of 30 to 40 cm. Also, when examined with an endoscope, thousands of eggs were found in the ovaries.

Fins constitute almost half of the length of the mantle. They are extremely muscular and thick. The tentacles have 2 rows of suckers and sharp three-pointed hooks. The trapping tentacles are strong, thick and long. In their middle part, they have hooks, and at the end they are equipped with suction cups for a third of their length. The tentacles are located in a circle, and in the center there is a rigid and powerful beak, resembling in its shape the beak of a parrot.

The body of the colossal squid is wider and more voluminous than the body of the giant squid. Accordingly, it is heavier. It is believed that representatives of this species have a longer mantle and shorter tentacles than those of giant congeners. This species is considered the largest of all known squids..

Reproduction, behavior, nutrition

Very little is known about these representatives of the deep sea. For the first time, fragments of the body of a colossal squid were found in the stomach of a sperm whale in 1925. In 1981, Russian fishermen caught a large specimen 4 meters long in the Ross Sea. She has been identified as an immature female. In 2003, fragments of a female body were discovered with an estimated length of 6 meters and a mantle length of 2.5 meters. In 2005, a colossal squid was captured at a depth of 1625 meters off South Georgia Island and brought aboard. The length of its tentacles reached 2.3 meters, and its weight reached 200 kg.

This species belongs to passive predators. The squid hangs in the water column and waits for the victim to appear. Uses big eyes to detect prey. It feeds mainly on large deep-sea fish and other squid. Antarctic toothfish make up the bulk of the prey. Young representatives of the species prefer zooplankton.

Nothing is known about reproduction, since in practice this process has never been observed. All information is obtained on the basis of anatomical structure. Females are larger than males. Puberty begins with a mantle length of 1 meter and a body weight of 30 kg. These squids spawn in early spring. The estimated fertility is up to 4 million eggs. The abundance of this species is high, it is endemic to the Antarctic.

The first mentions of this only representative of the genus Mesonychoteuthis date 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, information about him was not received, 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 was found more than a meter long. The world first learned about the existence of these molluscs in 1856. After the scientist Stenstrup decided to compare the size of the beak found 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 should be just huge.

Description

The colossal squid has an elongated torpedo-like body. The length of his 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 these data have not been documented.

The mantle is wide, the last third of its length is completed by a narrow, pointed tail, surrounded by powerful, thick, terminal fins. They make up almost half the length of the mollusk's body and, when unfolded, form a shape resembling a heart. The mantle is soft, about 5-6 cm thick. The funnel and occipital cartilages are thick, short, slightly curved, lacking tubercles in adults.

The colossal squid has amazing eyes. The photo below allows you to see them well. Consisting of two photophores, they are truly huge - their diameter reaches 27 centimeters. Such gigantic eyes are not possessed by any of the known animals on the planet.

The tentacles are equipped with two rows of circular 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 tentacles-grips, or rather in their middle part, there are several pairs of hood-shaped hooks, and their lower part is equipped with suction cups.

The main weapon possessed by the colossal squid is a tough, powerful chitinous beak.

Habitat

The giant mollusk is found mainly in Antarctic waters, where it can form clusters of several individuals. In the northern regions, their numbers are less, and they hunt mostly one by one. Squids are also 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 his behavior in natural conditions.

The location of the hypothetical location of the mollusk can be determined by the temperature of the water surface. So, the greatest probability of meeting with him is possible at a water temperature from -0.9 to 0 ºС. From December to March, they can be seen in high Antarctic latitudes.

Dimensions

Sexual dimorphism is somewhat unusual - females of colossal squids are much larger than males. The remains of shellfish of both sexes have been 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 ever colossal squid 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 the weight was 495 kg.

Features of nutrition and reproduction

Of course, little is known about the life of these giant molluscs, but scientists were able to reveal a unique ability in them. Their body contains a large number of ammonium chloride, which helps to reduce the specific gravity, which gives squid neutral buoyancy. Thanks to this, they can cut through the water column, practically without moving. Thus, predators have the ability to camouflage and wait for their prey. They grab prey that has swum too close with 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 kind. Adult molluscs can eat fry and immature individuals of their own 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. Chief among them is the sperm whale. It was possible to find out by the found 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 out of this giant, then the diameter of the rings cut from it will be comparable to the diameter of the tractor tires.

Cases of assault on a person

More precisely about their attacks on people, it was written in many works of art. The most famous of these are the works of Jules Verne.

But in life, cases are also described when a colossal squid attacked ships. So, one of the precedents happened with the French sailors during the round-the-world race.

According to one of their yachtsmen, Olivier de Quersoason, a clam grabbed their yacht by the stern just a few hours after they left Brittany. The sailors said that the deep-sea giant wrapped its thick tentacles around the ship, thicker than a human leg, and began to pull the ship into the sea. With two tentacles, he blocked the rudder of the ship. Fortunately, the yachtsmen didn't have to fight back. As soon as the yacht stopped, the clam loosened its grip and disappeared into the depths of the ocean.

As sailors later said, the squid's body length exceeded 8 meters, and if the creature turned out to be more aggressive, it would be quite capable of turning over and drowning the yacht.

Little known predators

In total, scientists have registered about 250 cases of a human meeting with a colossal squid, but only a few managed to see this giant alive. The scientists themselves did not have such an opportunity. They only have to study the remains removed from the stomachs. marine predators, and bodies washed ashore or caught by sailors.

Although little known, the colossal squid is incomparable with any other representative of its class. The size, his photo can amaze anyone. Deep-sea colossus, 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. Perhaps quite a bit, since the lifespan of many already studied squid species is just over a year.

Video: Ivan Istomin / FSUE VNIRO

In early 2013, the world media reported that Japanese scientists, together with the Discovery TV channel, for the first time managed to film a live giant squid about three meters long. But it turns out that Russian scientists from the All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography have for several years kept a video of a deep-sea monster they met in Antarctic waters. Correspondent "Polit.ru" met with specialists of the institute Ivan Istomin and Alexander Vaginfor details.

Under what circumstances did you meet this creature?

Alexander Vagin: It happened in January 2008 in the D'Urville Sea off the coast of Antarctica. We worked on a South Korean fishing vessel as an international CCAMLR (Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources) observer during the toothfish fishery. This is a large valuable deep sea fish, which is found in the Antarctic seas and reaches a length of up to two meters. They catch it with the help of the bottom line. This is a strong synthetic rope several kilometers long with weights, to which hooks with pieces of squid or small fish are attached on the lines.

A. Vagin (left) and I. Istomin (center) weigh the caught toothfish

Ivan Istomin: On that day, we selected a longline set at a depth of about one and a half kilometers. At some point, a large specimen of toothfish approached the side on a hook, whose body was tightly entangled with tentacles by a huge squid. He looked several times larger than his victim and was at first light, and then changed color to bright crimson, like the underwater part of our ship. As luck would have it, I had a camera with me, and I managed to shoot this creature. In addition, I was very lucky with the weather - sunny, calm days in these parts are not so common.

How did the team react? Probably not every day you have to deal with such a catch.

A.V .: The sailors, among whom were Chinese, Vietnamese and Indonesians, began to shout loudly in incomprehensible languages, wave boat hooks and in every possible way "save" the toothfish. When they managed to pick up the fish, the squid released its prey and plunged into the water for several meters. Then he surfaced again, sticking part of the fin out of the water. His color at this time became more faded. Then the squid turned around and began to slowly sink, making the so-called undulating fin movements, which are clearly visible in the video.

Have you managed to determine the size of the squid?

Tentacle of a colossal squid from the stomach of a toothfish. Photo by Ivan Istomin

A.V .: When the fish was lifted onto the deck, we examined it carefully. It turned out to be a really large specimen, 178 centimeters long and weighing 65 kilograms. Comparing the sizes of fish and squid in the photo, we determined that its mantle is about four meters long and at least half a meter in diameter. The total length, apparently, was more than five meters. Usually squid have four pairs of short tentacle arms and one pair of long hunters. Our specimen had its long tentacles torn off. Most likely, he lost them in a fight with a predator. Before that, its total size could reach 8-10 meters.

Yes, really gigantic. Not so long ago, off the coast of Japan, they captured a squid with a length of only 3 meters.

I.I .: Here it is worthwhile to immediately clarify that in nature two genera of large molluscs are separated: Giant squids ( Architeuthis) and Colossal squid with a single representative ( Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni). The specimen that the Japanese took in their natural habitat belonged to the first genus, and ours to the second. Colossal squids are actually pretty well researched, but it looks like this one was larger than many previously studied.

And what happened to the fish? Did the squid hurt her?

Squid footprints on toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni). Photo by Ivan Istomin

A.V .: The whole body of the toothfish was covered with traces of suckers, the largest of which reached three centimeters in diameter. At the dorsal fin, a piece of meat of two or three kilograms was torn out to the spine. The fish was still alive.

Do you regret not being able to catch the squid itself?

I.I .: The captain of the Korean vessel did not see this episode, and then strongly cursed that the team was busy saving the catch and did not take the squid to the deck. On the one hand, it would be interesting for us as scientists to study this creature in more detail. But then we would not have received wonderful shots of his movement. So we regret more that we did not manage to watch the squid longer.

You regularly take part in sea expeditions, including working on fishing vessels. Do you know of other cases of meeting with huge squid?

Squid beak extracted from toothfish stomach. Photo by Ivan Istomin

A.V .: Attacks of large squids on hooked toothfish are not uncommon. In some areas of Antarctica where fishing is carried out, up to 10% of caught fish bear traces of suckers and wounds inflicted by the "beak" of squid. But usually they release their prey even in the depths, so meetings with living giants are very rare. But thanks to the peculiarities of squid biology, scientists have the opportunity to study their remains. The fact is that these creatures are monocyclic. That is, having reached a certain age, they bear offspring and soon after that they die. After that, they are either thrown ashore, or they become food for various marine predators. We often found tentacles up to two meters long or pieces of mantle several centimeters thick in the stomach of the same toothfish.

I.I .: In other words, dead squid are well studied. But to see a living giant squid, and even more so to shoot it on video in such good weather conditions, is extremely rare! Although there are always a lot of stories among sailors.

And what copies have you heard of?

Fragment of a squid tentacle. Photo by Ivan Istomin

I.I .: As you know, the largest specimen of the giant squid Architeuthiswas found on the coast of New Zealand. Its length, together with the trapping tentacles, was 17.4 meters. Among the fishermen, one hears stories about how, together with the caught fish, they raised real monsters over two tens of meters long. It is difficult to judge whether this is true, or just sea fables. But it is reliably known that on the skins of sperm whales, which actively consume squid for food, they found marks from suckers with a diameter of several tens of centimeters. Considering that our specimen, with a mantle length of about five meters, had three-centimeter suction cups, these stories do not seem too fantastic. No matter how long we have studied the ocean, it will still hide its secrets from us.

Reference:

Giant and colossal squids are not only the largest invertebrates on the planet, but also occupy the second place after the sperm whale among largest predators... Many experts believe that it was these creatures that gave rise to the legends of the sea monster Kraken, which first appeared in Icelandic folklore. If the colossal squid Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni found only in the southern seas off the coast of Antarctica, giant squid of the genus Architeuthis live practically throughout the world's oceans. Until recently, it was assumed that the genus of giant squid has at least 8 species. But recent genetic studies published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society have shown that this is not the case. Scientists have analyzed the DNA of 43 individuals of the giant squid found in different parts of the planet. The differences in the genome were so insignificant that all individuals were found to belong to the same species.

(Architeuthis) and Colossal Squids ( Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni). In January 2008, off the coast of Antarctica, a team of international CCAMLR observers while fishing for toothfish, while navigating the D'Urville Sea on a South Korean fishing vessel, encountered a colossal crimson squid.

When lifting the hook with a large specimen of toothfish, it was tightly held in its tentacles by a colossal squid. The victim was still alive, but the whole body was covered with traces of suckers, the diameter of which reached three centimeters. At the dorsal fin a piece of meat has been torn out by 2-3 kilograms to the spine.

Colossal squid "control"

In the life of a fisherman, it is not uncommon to see traces of tentacles on a caught toothfish. Up to 10% of the catch goes through the squid “control”. When the fish leaves the depths of the sea, the predator lets it go, so it is very rare to see a living colossal squid. Most of the research has been done on the remains of dead cephalopods.

Squids are monocyclic

Squids are monocyclic, reaching a certain age, they give birth and soon after that they die. The corpses of squid are either thrown ashore, or they become food for various marine life. Sometimes fishermen find tentacles, pieces of mantle, squid beaks in the stomach of their catch.

All squids belong to the same species

Until recently, it was assumed that the genus of giant squid has about 8 species. But the latest genetic studies of scientists have shown that the differences in the genome of 43 species of squid were insignificant, which means that all individuals belong to the same species.

Source of material: interviews with experts from Polit.ru, “Russian scientists managed to film a colossal squid”, dated 25.03.2013.

There is a so-called architeutis - a genus of huge oceanic squids, whose length reaches 18 meters in length. The longest mantle is 2 m, and the tentacles - up to 5 m. The largest specimen was found in 1887 on the coast of New Zealand - its length was 17.4 meters. Unfortunately, nothing is said about weight.

Giant squid can be found in the subtropical and temperate zones of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans... They live in the water column, and they can be found both a few meters from the surface and at a depth of one kilometer.

No one is able to attack this animal, except for one, namely the sperm whale. At one time it was believed that a terrible battle was being played out between the two, the outcome of which remains unknown to the last. But, as recent studies have shown, architeutis loses 99% of cases, since strength is always on the side of the sperm whale.

If we talk about squid caught in our time, then we can talk about a specimen that was caught by fishermen in the Antarctic region in 2007 (see the first photo). Scientists wanted to examine it, but could not - at that time there was no suitable equipment, so they decided to freeze the giant until better times. As for the dimensions, they are as follows: body length - 9 meters, and weight - 495 kilograms. This is the so-called colossal squid or mesonichoteutis.

And this is possibly a photo of the largest squid in the world:

Even ancient seafarers told in sailor taverns horrible stories about the attack of monsters that emerged from the abyss and sank whole ships, entangling them with their tentacles. They were called krakens. They have become legends. They were rather skeptical about their existence. But even Aristotle described the meeting with the "big Teutis", from which the travelers who plowed the waters of the Mediterranean suffered. Where does the truth end and the truth begin?

Homer was the first to describe the kraken in his legends. Scylla, about whom Odysseus met in his wanderings, is nothing more than giant kraken... The Gorgon Medusa borrowed tentacles from the monster, which over time transformed into snakes. And, of course, Hydra, defeated by Hercules, is a distant "relative" of this mysterious creature... On the frescoes of Greek temples, you can find images of creatures that wrap whole ships with tentacles.

The myth soon took on flesh. People met a mythical monster. This happened in the west of Ireland, when in 1673 a storm threw a creature on the seashore, the size of a horse, with eyes like dishes and many appendages. It had a huge beak, like an eagle's. The remains of the Kraken have long been an exhibit that was shown to everyone for a lot of money in Dublin.

Karl Linnaeus, in his famous classification, identified them to the order of mollusks, calling them Sepia microcosmos. Subsequently, zoologists systematized all the known information and were able to give a description of this species. In 1802, Denis de Montfort published a book, General and Specific Natural History of Molluscs, which later inspired many adventurers to capture the mysterious deep animal.

The year was 1861, and the steamer Dlekton was on a routine voyage across the Atlantic. Suddenly, a giant squid appeared on the horizon. The captain decided to harpoon him. And they were even able to drive a few sharp peaks into the solid body of the kraken. But three hours of struggle were wasted. The mollusk sank to the bottom, almost dragging the ship with it. At the ends of the harpoons, there were pieces of meat, with a total weight of 20 kilograms. The ship artist managed to sketch the struggle between man and animal, and this drawing is still kept in the French Academy of Sciences.

The second attempt to take the kraken alive was made ten years later, when it landed in fishing nets near Newfoundland. For ten hours people fought with a stubborn and freedom-loving animal. They were able to pull him ashore. The ten-meter carcass was examined by the famous naturalist Harvey, who preserved the kraken in salt water and the exhibit has delighted visitors to the London History Museum for many years.

Ten years later, on the other side of the earth, in New Zealand, fishermen were able to catch a twenty-meter mollusk weighing 200 kilograms. The most recent find was a kraken found in the Falkland Islands region. It was "only" 8 meters long and is still kept at the Darwin Center in the British capital.

What is he like? This animal has a cylindrical head, several meters in length. His body changes color from dark green to purple-red (depending on the mood of the animal). Kraken have the largest eyes in the animal world. They can be up to 25 centimeters in diameter. The beak is located in the center of the "head". This is a chitinous formation with which the animal grinds fish and other food. He is also able to bite into a steel cable 8 centimeters thick. A curious structure has a kraken language. It is covered with small denticles that have different shapes, allowing you to grind food and push it into the esophagus.

The meeting with the kraken does not always end with the victory of people. Here is such an incredible story roaming the Internet: in March 2011, in the Sea of \u200b\u200bCortez, a squid attacked fishermen. In front of the people vacationing at the resort of Loreto, a huge octopus drowned a 12-meter ship. A fishing boat was sailing parallel to the coastline, when suddenly several dozen thick tentacles emerged from the water towards it. They wrapped around the sailors and threw them overboard. Then the monster began to rock the ship until it capsized.

According to an eyewitness: “I saw four or five bodies that the surf washed ashore. Their bodies were almost completely covered with blue spots - from the suckers of sea monsters. One was still alive. But he hardly resembled a man. The squids literally chewed it up! "

This is Photoshop. In the comments, the original photo.

According to zoologists, it was the carnivorous Humboldt squid that lives in these waters. And he was not alone. The flock deliberately attacked the ship, acted in concert and consisted mainly of females. The number of fish in these waters is getting smaller and the krakens need to look for food. The fact that they got to the people is an alarming sign.

Below, in the cold and dark depths of the Pacific Ocean, a very intelligent and careful creature lives. This is truly unearthly creature there are legends all over the world. But this monster is real.

This is a giant squid or Humboldt squid. It got its name from the Humboldt current, where it was first discovered. It is a cold current that washes the shores of South America, but the creature's habitat is much larger. It stretches from Chile northward to Central California across the Pacific Ocean. Giant squids patrol the depths of the ocean, spending most of their lives at depths of up to 700 meters. Therefore, very little is known about their behavior.

They can reach adult growth. Their size can exceed 2 meters. Without warning, they emerge from the darkness in groups and feed on fish on the surface. Like their cousin the octopus, giant squids can change their color by cutting in and closing off pigment-filled sacs in their skin called chromatophores. By quickly closing these chromatophores, they turn white. Perhaps this is necessary to distract the attention of other predators, or maybe this is a form of communication. And if something alarmed them or they behave aggressively, then their color turns red.

Fishermen who cast their rods and try to catch these giants off the coast of Central America call them the red devil. These same fishermen talk about how squids pulled people overboard and ate them. The behavior of the squid does nothing to alleviate these fears. Lightning-fast tentacles armed with spiky suction cups grab the victim's flesh and drag him to the waiting mouth. There, a sharp beak breaks and shreds food. Red Devil - Giant squids seem to eat anything they can catch, even their own kind. As a desperate defense, the weaker squid fires an ink cloud from a pouch next to its head. This dark pigment is designed to hide and confuse enemies.

Few had the opportunity or enough courage to approach a giant squid in the water. But one director, filming a film about wild animals, descended into the darkness to shoot this unique material. The squid quickly surrounds him, at first he shows curiosity, and then aggression. Tentacles have grabbed his mask and regulator and this is fraught with air cessation. It will be able to restrain the squid and return to the surface if it also shows aggression and behaves like a predator. This short meeting provided some insight into intelligence, strength and

But the real giants are the Krakens living in the Bermuda region. They can reach up to 20 meters in length, and at the very bottom there are monsters of 50 meters in length. Their targets are sperm whales and whales.

Here is how the Englishman Wullen described one such fight: “At first it looked like an eruption of an underwater volcano. Looking through binoculars, I was convinced that neither the volcano nor the earthquake had anything to do with what was happening in the ocean. But the forces operating there were so enormous that I can be excused for the first assumption: a very large sperm whale grappled in mortal combat with a giant squid, almost as big as himself. It seemed that the endless tentacles of the clam had entwined the entire body of the enemy in a continuous net. Even next to the ominously black head of the sperm whale, the squid head seemed such a terrible object that one does not always dream of in a nightmare. Huge and bulging eyes against the deathly pale background of the squid's body made it look like a monstrous ghost. "

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