Colossal Squid in NZ Caught

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Turns out there's giant squid.... and then there's 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.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6385071.stm

More info here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2910849.stm

This squid has one of the largest beaks known of any squid and also has unique swivelling hooks on the clubs at the ends of its tentacles.

[SeeGeeWhy]

Calamari expert?

[Frank the Tank]

Soooooo cool! I love stuff like this!

[Burninator]

This picture is unreal.



It looks like it is out of a movie, and that sailor is about half a second away from being dragged to the bottom of the ocean.

[rubecube]

Anybody else giggle at this?

[SaskaBushFire]

First one captured in tact, its amazing that after so many years this is the first one landed.

Makes you wonder what else is down there? I wonder why they decided to start coming so close to the surface?

[mykalberta]

There was a quote on one news site that says if you wre to make a Calamari ring out of it - it would be the size of a tractor tire ())

Amazing that this is the first on in tact humas have ever caught. Makes you wonder whats down there the we have never caught?

MYK

[Superfraggle]

Um...why are we trying to catch them? From the sounds of things they're probably pretty endangered. Whales are protected, why not these "colossal squid"?

[KevanGuy]

Originally Posted by Superfraggle

Um...why are we trying to catch them? From the sounds of things they're probably pretty endangered. Whales are protected, why not these "colossal squid"?

Mr Anderton said the fishermen had been fishing for Patagonian toothfish in deep Antarctic waters when the squid - which was eating a toothfish - was caught.

[GoinAllTheWay]

Ya, they were not after the squid specificaly. It is a shame that it died, there can't be to many of those things in the ocean.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by fotze

Because it could supply Regency Palace's all you can eat buffet for like two days.

Why, is there a stray cat shortage?

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Originally Posted by Frank the Tank

Soooooo cool! I love stuff like this!

Me too. I attribute it to all the crappy CBC Captain Nemo Cartoons I watched as a kid:





Rest assured, if I linked the theme song for this damned show you'll have it stuck in your head for 24 hrs...

So here it is! Link!

(man that would be been good for the Guess the 80's Music thread)

[blankall]

We dont see that many not because they are so rare, but because they live so deep. Nobody knows how common they are, but I think they show up in the stomachs of whales (in small pieces obviously) fairly often

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Superfraggle

Um...why are we trying to catch them? From the sounds of things they're probably pretty endangered. Whales are protected, why not these "colossal squid"?

They are probably not endangered. Whale stomachs are always full of Collosal Squid beaks. Deep Sea creatures are the most protected against humanity.

Also, that one is pretty small since it was a male, females are supposed to be the big ones.

[Superfraggle]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

They are probably not endangered. Whale stomachs are always full of Collosal Squid beaks. Deep Sea creatures are the most protected against human humanity.

Also, that one is pretty small since it was a male, females are supposed to be the big ones.

Well I guess it's hard to say, considering how few have ever been spotted. As blankall says, nobody knows how common they are. I would prefer to err on the side of caution, however.

I guess if they caught it by accident, that's alright. The report did say it was almost dead when it reached the surface. It's just the way they made it sound like none being captured before was a bad thing (i.e. tried and failed).

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Superfraggle

Well I guess it's hard to say, considering how few have ever been spotted. As blankall says, nobody knows how common they are. I would prefer to err on the side of caution, however.

I guess if they caught it by accident, that's alright. The report did say it was almost dead when it reached the surface. It's just the way they made it sound like none being captured before was a bad thing (i.e. tried and failed).

I agree we should definately err on the side of caution. I think we may be able to save more in the longrun, if we can study a few of them. Learn their eating habits, lifespan etc..

[Hack&Lube]

I'd rather we worry about the thousands of dolphins being hunted by drive-hunting. That is just painful to see.

Sorry but I relate more to our intelligent mammalian cousins.

[RougeUnderoos]

I'm sure somewhere along the way some other boat, probably made of wood and with a crew threatened by scurvy, came across one of these things and had a hell of a story to tell when they got home. That thing is a "sea monster" if I've ever seen one.

[TheyCallMeBruce]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

I'm sure somewhere along the way some other boat, probably made of wood and with a crew threatened by scurvy, came across one of these things and had a hell of a story to tell when they got home. That thing is a "sea monster" if I've ever seen one.

I think they called them "Kraken"

[icarus]

Anyone know where I can order some Patagonian toothfish late at night?