Huge squid with eyes the size of dinner plates is caught

*Sharon* ^(Premo) · 04-08-2003, 07:08 AM

April 3, 2003 (WELLINGTON, New Zealand) — Fishermen working in Antarctic waters have made an extremely rare catch -- a colossal squid with eyes as big as dinner plates and razor-sharp hooks on its tentacles, a marine researcher said Thursday.

The 330-pound, 16-foot-long specimen was caught in the Ross Sea, said Steve O'Shea, a research fellow with the Auckland University of Technology. He said the squid was a young female; adults are much bigger.

Going by the scientific name Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, the animal is unrelated to the smaller and more common giant squid, O'Shea said.

"This animal is formidable," he told New Zealand's National Radio.

While the giant squid eats "quite small prey," the colossal squid eats large prey like the Patagonian toothfish, which can grow more than six feet long.

Fully grown, the colossal squid would be "larger than any giant squid I have seen, and I've seen 105 of them," O'Shea said.

Only one other colossal squid has ever been caught before. Scientists knew of their existence because their beaks have been found in the stomachs of sperm whales.

"All we know is that it can move through the water ... to a depth of 2,000 meters (6,561 feet) and it is an extremely active and extremely aggressive killer," O'Shea said.

It differs from the giant squid "by having enormous hooks arming the tentacles and the arms," he said.

The creature makes up three-quarters of the diet of large sperm whales, which suggests there are large numbers of them in Antarctic waters, O'Shea said. He said the squid was caught near the surface of the ocean.

Penn · 04-08-2003, 07:14 AM

Calimari, anyone?

*RoseRed* ^(Premo) · 04-08-2003, 07:18 AM

What nightmares are made of!

Kain99 · 04-08-2003, 07:42 AM

Can you imagine coming eye to eye with this big guy? Yikes! Makes ya wonder what else lurks down in the depths. Pretty Cool.

Vince · 04-08-2003, 07:45 AM

Spent 3 years in the Antarctic and I'm glad I never ran across one of those.

Penn · 04-08-2003, 07:50 AM

If this creature has eyes the size of dinner plates, I'm afraid the averaged-sized man would be it's dinner!

Powerful hooks at the ends of it's tentacles? I don't want any part of it. Besides, you know how pissed off females can get when they get ensnared!

Pookie · 04-08-2003, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by penncam
Calimari, anyone?

Yum Yum!!!!!

*jazz lady* ^(Premo) · 04-08-2003, 10:04 AM

http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com...uid_lon804.jpg

Auckland University of Technolgy researchers Dr. Steve O'Shea and Cat Bolstad, right, are seen with a Colossal Squid at the Te Papa research laboratory in Wellington, Wednesday April 2, 2003. The squid, which was found by fishermen in the Ross Sea, Antarctic, last week, is thought to be the largest intact specimen to have been found. The 150-Kilogram (330 pound) 5-meter (16 foot) immature female 'Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni' squid has eyes as big as dinner plates and razor-sharp hooks on the tentacles.

Hello6 · 04-08-2003, 10:24 AM

Tastes like chicken.

Cowgirl · 04-10-2003, 09:20 AM

Yeah, so they're excited because it was one of the largest specimens found in tact? So then they kill it to study it?

....or was it already dead?

04-08-2003, 07:08 AM	#1 (permalink)
Sharon ^(Premo) * * * * * * * * * Member Since: Mar 2001 Location: Hotel California Posts: 22,328	Huge squid with eyes the size of dinner plates is caught April 3, 2003 (WELLINGTON, New Zealand) — Fishermen working in Antarctic waters have made an extremely rare catch -- a colossal squid with eyes as big as dinner plates and razor-sharp hooks on its tentacles, a marine researcher said Thursday. The 330-pound, 16-foot-long specimen was caught in the Ross Sea, said Steve O'Shea, a research fellow with the Auckland University of Technology. He said the squid was a young female; adults are much bigger. Going by the scientific name Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, the animal is unrelated to the smaller and more common giant squid, O'Shea said. "This animal is formidable," he told New Zealand's National Radio. While the giant squid eats "quite small prey," the colossal squid eats large prey like the Patagonian toothfish, which can grow more than six feet long. Fully grown, the colossal squid would be "larger than any giant squid I have seen, and I've seen 105 of them," O'Shea said. Only one other colossal squid has ever been caught before. Scientists knew of their existence because their beaks have been found in the stomachs of sperm whales. "All we know is that it can move through the water ... to a depth of 2,000 meters (6,561 feet) and it is an extremely active and extremely aggressive killer," O'Shea said. It differs from the giant squid "by having enormous hooks arming the tentacles and the arms," he said. The creature makes up three-quarters of the diet of large sperm whales, which suggests there are large numbers of them in Antarctic waters, O'Shea said. He said the squid was caught near the surface of the ocean.
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04-08-2003, 07:14 AM	#2 (permalink)
Penn Dancing Up A Storm Member Since: Aug 2002 Location: Great Mills Posts: 13,903	Calimari, anyone?
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04-08-2003, 07:18 AM	#3 (permalink)
RoseRed ^(Premo) American Beauty Member Since: Mar 2001 Location: My own private Idaho Posts: 50,167	What nightmares are made of! __________________ Oysters are nasty. If I want a fried loogie, I'll spit in a frying pan.
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04-08-2003, 07:42 AM	#4 (permalink)
Kain99 Hope Eternal Member Since: Sep 2002 Location: Leonardtown Posts: 23,929	Can you imagine coming eye to eye with this big guy? Yikes! Makes ya wonder what else lurks down in the depths. Pretty Cool. __________________ The unexamined life is not worth living. Socrates (469 BC - 399 BC), in Plato, Dialogues, Apology
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04-08-2003, 07:45 AM	#5 (permalink)
Vince ...... Member Since: Mar 2003 Location: Lusby, MD. Posts: 11,921	Spent 3 years in the Antarctic and I'm glad I never ran across one of those. __________________ "Anyone can have bad breath Marge, but you could knock a buzzard off a sh!twagon!" --George Carlin
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04-08-2003, 07:50 AM	#6 (permalink)
Penn Dancing Up A Storm Member Since: Aug 2002 Location: Great Mills Posts: 13,903	If this creature has eyes the size of dinner plates, I'm afraid the averaged-sized man would be it's dinner! Powerful hooks at the ends of it's tentacles? I don't want any part of it. Besides, you know how pissed off females can get when they get ensnared!
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04-08-2003, 10:04 AM	#8 (permalink)
jazz lady ^(Premo) ~~ rara avis ~~ Member Since: Sep 2001 Location: ~ in the cabal ~ Posts: 44,123	Pretty, isn't it? http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com...uid_lon804.jpg Auckland University of Technolgy researchers Dr. Steve O'Shea and Cat Bolstad, right, are seen with a Colossal Squid at the Te Papa research laboratory in Wellington, Wednesday April 2, 2003. The squid, which was found by fishermen in the Ross Sea, Antarctic, last week, is thought to be the largest intact specimen to have been found. The 150-Kilogram (330 pound) 5-meter (16 foot) immature female 'Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni' squid has eyes as big as dinner plates and razor-sharp hooks on the tentacles. __________________ ............................ "In their collective state, the hens are utterly without mercy; driven by one will alone: the will to conquer. They are beyond redemption, beyond reason." "If it hadn't been for jazz, there wouldn't be no rock and roll" ~ Louis Armstrong
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04-08-2003, 10:24 AM	#9 (permalink)
Hello6 Princess of Mean Member Since: Mar 2003 Location: Formerly Great Mills Posts: 1,628	Tastes like chicken. __________________ "Negative outlook? Well that's how I'm livin'. And like he said, it's a wicked world we live in." *Transplants Don't breed or buy while homeless animals die. Adopt a friend for life!
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04-10-2003, 09:20 AM	#10 (permalink)
Cowgirl I said yes!!! Member Since: Jan 2002 Location: In the land of corn, soybeans, and chickens. Posts: 9,476	That's great Yeah, so they're excited because it was one of the largest specimens found in tact? So then they kill it to study it? ....or was it already dead? __________________ "I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody." -Bill Cosby
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