Architeuthis dux: News and admiration of nature's top wonder

[Squid]

The Exploding Squid Population

Dr. Bruce Robison of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute describes squid as "big, aggressive, pugnacious animals," and says part of the squid's success is its taste for almost everything.

Come to think of it, I am feeling a little snacky...

[grant]

More Humboldt news - they're being driven ashore by another earthquake.

Video of flapping squid wings at the link.

[Liesbeth]

our scientific explorer mr Grant dug up a brilliant piece of news earlier this week, but only posted it on his facebook. I know, this board is so 2003...

scientists find fossilised squid ink

[Squid]

Aw DAMN. No she didn't !

[grant]

Just to emphasize:

An 11.5-foot-long (3.5-meter-long) leftover, this giant squid arm was recovered at the surface from another sperm whale hunt on October 14, 2009, in the same place as feeding frenzy photographed underwater the next day.

[grant]

School-bus sized squid actually quite friendly, study finds

One of the best science headlines ever written.

[Liesbeth]

"just a big blob" is also a wonderfully concise description!

[grant]

I... um... *ahem*....

[Moni]

I... um... *ahem*....

"white tubular structure" Huh. Thanks for the pointer.

[grant]

(grits teeth)
That's what SHE said!

(oh god oh god oh god make the voices stop)

[Liesbeth]

Grant, will you write a song about deep sea sex? Or about experts on deep sea sex? Just imagine their birthday party conversations.

[grant]

Yes, I will do this thing.

I'm not sure about the link between birthday parties and squid penises, but maybe I've been missing out all my life.

[grant]

I have grave misgivings about the arrangement, but the skeleton's OK.

Will this do, Liesbeth?

[Liesbeth]

Love it ! It makes me want to live in the deep sea. If it wasn't so dark and cold and ...eh... deep.

[grant]

You're very kind.

The squid think so, too.

[grant]

Check out this Nat Geo slideshow... especially the very last photo.

All aglow.

[grant]

The Slightly Disturbing Science of Squid:

I was intrigued by the account of the mother starving to death to protect her offspring. Squid reproduction is somewhat bizarre, is it not?

Well, I guess the answer to that depends on your point of view. The squid seem to like it.

One thing though — that story was about a mother giant Pacific octopus. Her story is full of pathos, and it broke my heart.

Most squid, on the other hand, couldn’t care less about their offspring.

You describe the eyes of some of the biggest squid as being the size of dinner plates. Their eyes are sophisticated and in some ways better than ours. You seem to have been mesmerized by what you saw in their eyes. Can you talk a little about that.

The big eyes I found positively creepy. Like watching a horror movie. But the eyes of the cuttlefish were mesmerizing. In the ocean, divers love finding these animals, because it’s possible then to watch them watch you.

And we primates absolutely adore making eye contact with other living things.

Siiiigh.

[grant]

And just in time, WE ARE SENDING THEM TO SPACE.

Read the comments. This is all going according to their plan.

[grant]

Squid, you may feel jealous now. This is the next county north of me:

http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/region_martin_county/giant-squid-found-off-port-salerno
Giant squid found off Port Salerno...
23-foot squid was found floating in the ocean

MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. - Robert Benz and his buddies were fishing Sunday about 12 miles offshore from Port Salerno when they spotted something floating in the water.

"We pulled up... thought it was something to fish on, a pallet or something like that. We looked at it, all three of us were like 'holy mackerel,' " recalled Benz.

It turned out to be a 23-foot long giant squid. It's a rare find in our waters. The main part of the body was about 11-feet long, but with its two long tentacles, it barely fit in the 23-foot boat Benz was riding in. But he knew they had to bring it ashore.

"Nobody believes a fisherman," said Benz. "It didn't seem it had been dead long, the tentacles were still moving and it was sticking to you when we got it in.


So what is it about the squid that makes us a little squeamish?

Ellie Van Os, Director of Education and Exhibits at the Florida Oceanographic Society, says it's not common to see a squid of that size.

"It's foreign to imagine that there's an animal with 8 arms and 2 tentacles that are twice as long as the arms and their mouth is in the middle of their arms... and big eyes."

As for where the giant squid is now, it was transported to the FWRI lab in Tequesta and is now in possession of the Florida Museum of Natural History.

[Liesbeth]

It barely fit in the 23-foot boat Benz was riding in. But he knew they had to bring it ashore.
"Nobody believes a fisherman."

Note for fishermen everywhere: be prepared when you go fishing and your boat isn't big enough to hold a squid. Bait, lines, and camphone!

Great story.