Giant Sea Squid--They have reached out and torn sailors from life rafts.
A 50 Ib. octopus with a 10 ft arm spread is a giant; the largest giant deep sea squid weigh more than 1500 pounds. Octopuses retreat singly into scattered holes on the ocean bottom; though one may occasionally maul a diver who surprises it in its den, most leave the scene when man appears. Some squid, on the other hand, may attack anything-even anchors, boat hooks or the hull of a ship. They work in ravenous mobs in open water. An attack by one may be the signal for a frenzied rush by others.
Parrot-like beak in the center
Like the octopus, the giant sea squid has eight arms with rows of suckers-but with the added touch of tooth-like horny rings around the edge of each sucker; and there are two more arms, called tentacles, which probably have no equal in all Nature. Like long rubber cables, they can stretch far beyond the reach of the other arms or snap back until they are nearly hidden. Armed at the tip with suckers, the tentacles shoot out towards a victim, clamp fast and pull the prey back into the squid's writhing nest of arms with the parrot-like beak in the center. Unlike the baggy octopus, most sea squid are long and thin, with two horizontal fins at one end.
They travel by jet propulsion. Taking in water by opening the muscular mantle that surrounds its body like a loose overcoat, the squid squirts it out through a powerful siphon near the head. This shoots the squid backwards, slender rear section first. Rocketing through the water, it can overtake nearly anything that swims. By reversing the flexible siphon, it shuttles back and forth through a school of fish. The two tentacles whip out like living lassos,catching fish after fish-killing far beyond its needs.
Outside and Inside Giant Squid
Outside and Inside Giant Squid (Outside and Inside (Walker & Company))
Amazon Price: $8.95 (as of 07/10/2009)
As a longtime fan of cephalopods in general and squids in particular, I was very impressed by this book. It's quite good at being accessible to readers of a fairly young age while not "dumbing down" the science at all. It has a variety of color plates, both from giant squid dissections (from the lab of Clyde Roper, one of the world's foremost experts on the giant squid) and from pictures of other squids in their natural environment. (Until recently, no one had ever seen or photographed a giant squid in its environment at all, so showing smaller squids is really the best way to illustrate these amazing animals... and Ms. Markle is careful to describe which pictures are giant squids and which are smaller ones.)
The eyes are intelligent, alert, arrestingly human
This would not be so surprising if the squid were close to us on the family tree of evolution. But deep sea squid are mollusks, with a history that stretches back 400 million years, far beyond that of man. As the ages passed, their ancestors-some with dozens of arms-developed shells like ice-cream cones, sometimes 12 ft long. Later types had coiled shells, like a ram's horn. Today squid anatomy is such that they have no outer shells but are built around a cartilaginous internal rod called the 'pen'. It is the internal support of the cuttlefish-a member of the same class as the squid, and closely resembling it-which provides the cuttlebone that is often given to budgerigars.
The sea squid is a living kaleidoscope
The colossal squid is a living kaleidoscope. Rob it of its prey, and it flashes an angry red. Frighten it, and it turns a pale, watery color. It can be mottled like the sand or rippled like the surface. It has thousands of tiny color cells, opening and closing like drawstring bags. One instant they are open, showing their colored lining; a fifth of a second later they close. Deep-water squid may have hundreds of light-producing areas, sparkling like fireflies.
I saw two arms, twice the size of my arm, grabbing the rudder.
Giant Squid
March 2006 For centuries, sailors have told tales of sea monsters with massive tentacles. But it was only recently that a giant squid was actually filmed. One man has spent his life tracking the elusive creatures. When his large, powerful yacht slowed to a virtual stop, Olivier de Kersauson knew he had a problem. "I saw two arms, twice the size of my arm, grabbing the rudder." A giant squid had got caught in the propeller. "It had a lot of power and started to shake the boat." It was a sight Dr Steve O'Shea would love to have witnessed. For over 30 years he's been chasing the rare creatures. But recently, he's become aware of a disturbing trend. "Squids are incredibly good barometers of environmental health", he explains. "If I go back 10 years, I had 23 giant squids in one year. Now, because of the intensity of fishing, it's tailed down to one a year." Produced by SBS/Dateline Distributed by Journeyman Pictures
Runtime: 13:00
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Luminous squid ink
Only rarely does a really giant squid come up from the depths to be seen by man. An occasional specimen is vomited up by a dying sperm whale; and fishermen sometimes see an injured one floating on the surface.
Black Rice Made with Squid Ink
Spanish Squid Ink Packets
Amazon Price: (as of 07/10/2009)
A rare but incredibly practical ingredient. Used primarily for its coloring to create dark pastas and striking black rice, it also gives a salty flavor to dishes. The ebony color is dazzling.
Horrified
Soon afterwards, another man felt a tentacle grasp his leg. For some reason, it let go again. But where the suckers had fastened, they left raw, bleeding sores. The scars, like the prints of bottle caps, were still visible two years later.
Close View of the Teeth on the Suckers on a Squids Tentacles
It slipped one tentacle across the gunwale like a python
It slipped one tentacle across the gunwale like a python, pulling the little craft towards that hideous mouth. It gouged at the planking, staring at the men with dinner-plate eyes. Then it threw an arm over the boat to secure its hold and sank beneath the water. Spellbound, the men watched their boat tip until water rushed in over the side.
Twelve-year-old Tom Piccot saved them all. He grabbed a hatchet and began to chop at the grisly creature. Not until he had hacked it free did it drop away. Then it lay alongside the boat and glared at them, its great cylindrical body pulsating and throwing out clouds of ink.
They raced for the shore. Their countrymen would not believe their tale until they showed the evidence -a 19 ft tentacle like a heavy rope, lying in the bottom of their boat. Beside it was another chunk, as big as a man's arm.
And the Winner Is....
Animal Face-Off - Sperm Whale vs Giant Squid
Sperm Whale vs Giant Squid...
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The longest sea squid actually measured was 57 ft
Compared with such giants, most squid are tiny less than 8 in. long. These constitute one of the most important food items in the ocean. Schools of fish cut great swaths through their millions. (It is this fact, plus their own cannibalism, which keeps them from overrunning the ocean completely.) Porpoises and killer whales often gorge on them. Man has long enjoyed them, too-consuming about a million tons a year.
Excellent Source of Protein
Wel-Pac - Saki Ika Hot (dried squid) 2.0 Oz.
Amazon Price: $3.49 (as of 07/10/2009)
Dried squid is a tasty snack, full of flavor and protein but low in fat and calories!
This dried squid also comes in regular flavor
Squid Reproduction
The sex organs of both male and female are hidden deep within the cavity of the mantle. The male squid's sperm are wrapped in small packets called spermatophores. With one of his arms he reaches into his mantle cavity, takes a few packets from the genital organ and places them in the mantle cavity of the female. The wrapping unravels, releasing the sperm. Later, as the eggs pass through the female on their way to the outside, they are fertilized by the waiting sperm.
The female gently blows the fertilized eggs out through the siphon and catches them in her arms. The eggs-from a few hundred to 30,000, depending on the species-are about the size of cooked tapioca. She presses them against underwater objects in foot-long, sticky strings, then swims away. The babies hatch in about a month. They are fierce little beauties with rainbow colors, looking like exquisite rice-grain editions of their parents. They spread quickly, but not before fish scoop them up in great numbers. So the chain of life continues.
Fearless Cooking: Girl Vs. Squid
She came, she cooked, she conquered. Squid beaks, tentacles and ink sacs, Oh my. I read cookbooks the way some women read romance novels, but there are certain recipes that make me feel more like I'm reading a Stephen King novel. They fascinate and thrill me, but when I think about cooking them myself, I get scared. I am determined to conquer my culinary fears, and cook the dishes that terrify me most. Visit me at www.fearlesscooking.tv and learn more about what scares me. Post your own kitchen fears in the comment section of my website and I will cook them for you.
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Giant Nerve
Giant Squid Ambush
Toy Squid
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Oval Squid
Giant Squid: Mystery of the Deep (All Aboard Science Reader: Station Stop 2)
Amazon Price: $3.99 (as of 07/10/2009)
Great introduction to squid for kids.
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Squid & Sailor Dark T-Shirt
Price: 23.99
Welcome
dannystaple wrote...
Wow that is wonderful. I have always been interested in Cephalapods. They have a giant squid specimen in the Darwin section of the Natural History Museum in London.
Posted January 11, 2009
daria369 wrote...
I've seen one of the biggest ones in Mote Aquarium in Sarasota - it's Huge! At the same time, I don't understand why people are constantly trying to catch them and most of the time kill them in the process - that's sad.
Great lens!
Posted November 10, 2008
ArtByLinda wrote...
They are huge, I just watched a special on the largest one ever caught. It was huge!!!
Posted November 04, 2008
pmolinero wrote...
This is an amazing lens with a lot of interesting information. Thank you for sharing this. 5*
Posted November 03, 2008
nightbear wrote...
I love all of God's creations. what a remarkably interesting lens. Great job.
Posted November 03, 2008
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