Super squid surfaces in Antarctic

[mrs fish]

A colossal squid has been caught in Antarctic waters, the first example of Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni retrieved virtually intact from the surface of the ocean.

It really has to be one of the most frightening predators out there

"All we knew prior to this specimen coming through was that this animal lived in the abyssal environment down in Antarctica," New Zealand squid expert and senior research fellow at Auckland University of Technology, Dr Steve O'Shea, told BBC News Online.

"Now we know that it is moving right through the water column, right up to the very surface and it grows to a spectacular size."

Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni was first identified in 1925 after two arms were recovered from a sperm whale's stomach.

There have only ever been six specimens of this squid recovered: five have come from the stomachs of sperm whales and the sixth was caught in a trawl net at a depth of 2,000 to 2,200 metres.

full story

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Fancy coming face to face with that

>>> Edited by mrs fish on Thursday 3rd April 10:00

[s2ooz]

imagine how many chips you would need to make a proper supper... have to use the times to wrap it as well..

[CarZee]

feckin enormous pile of calamari though

[plotloss]

Vicious buggers. Big bloody hooks on their arms...

Matt.

[Tony Hall]

Haven't read the story properly but what a shame it wasn't left to swim where nature intended it to. Or was it already dead?

[deltaf]

mungo said: I wondered what happened to the remnants of that curry I shat out the other day

Jeezuz Mungo!...ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

[robkola]

Oh yes - they know they're down there . . . .

They drop cameras 3,4 even 5 miles down . . and wait . . when something large moves - the lights come on and the film is taken . . . I think they're still waiting!