Colossal squid. Russian scientists managed to film a colossal squid. Do you regret that you were unable to catch the squid itself?

Hollywood films have repeatedly frightened audiences with a giant squid - a huge creature living in the depths of the ocean. Surprisingly, such a creature really exists, like many other large representatives of this species. Below we will figure out which one is the most big squid in the world.

This genus of huge oceanic animals reaches a length of eighteen meters. Moreover, the length of the mantle is up to two meters, and the tentacles are up to five. It was found that specimens of this species can be found in temperate and subtropical zones all oceans. They can swim both very close to the surface and in the water column at a depth of about a kilometer. Due to its size, the only enemy that can harm the squid is the sperm whale. It is believed that between them there is constant there's a war going on not for life, but for death, the outcome of which cannot be predicted. Although, probably, the sperm whale is still stronger. The largest representative, 17 meters long, was discovered in 1887 near New Zealand.

Even in ancient times, travelers visiting port taverns told chilling stories about sea ​​monsters, unexpectedly emerging from the depths and capable of sinking entire ships, entangling them with their long powerful tentacles. They were nicknamed krakens and over time, entire legends were created about them. True, most people were very skeptical about such stories. Of course, it was impossible to determine right away where the lie ends and the truth begins.

Aristotle claimed to have seen a huge squid with his own eyes

The famous ancient Greek poet Homer was one of the first to describe the monster in his works. Presumably, Scylla, whom Odysseus met during his journey, is giant kraken. The Gorgon Medusa received tentacles from a strange creature, however, later they turned into snakes. And we also cannot fail to mention the monster named Hydro, defeated by Hercules. Entering Greek temples, you can see many frescoes depicting huge creatures that entangle ships with tentacles.

Only in 1673 did the myth gain real foundations. In the west of Ireland, the sea washed ashore a creature the size of a large horse, with many appendages and eyes resembling saucers. In addition, he had an impressive beak, shaped like an eagle's. The monster became an exhibit in Dublin, which curious people went to see for a long time. Carl Linnaeus, when compiling his famous classification of species, classified these creatures in the order of mollusks. After some time, scientists managed to properly systematize all the knowledge acquired about squids.

In 1802, a book dedicated to giant squids was published.

There was another incident in 1861. The steamship "Dlekton", sailing along Atlantic Ocean, met with a giant squid. The captain and his crew managed to stick several harpoons into its body, but to no avail: the mollusk disappeared to the bottom, and it’s good that it didn’t drag the ship with it. There were pieces of meat left on the harpoons, each weighing 20 kilograms. The drawing depicting the battle between a man and a squid is still kept in the Academy of Sciences in France.

What does this animal look like? The squid has an elongated cylindrical head and is several meters tall. His skin can change shade, from green to burgundy, depending on his mood. Krakens have the largest eyes in the entire animal kingdom, reaching 25 centimeters in diameter. In the middle of the head there is a so-called beak, consisting of chitin, which helps the animal grind food. The squid's tongue is also very unusual: it is all covered with teeth various shapes, crushing food and pushing it down the throat.

The beak of a huge squid is very powerful and in some cases can bite through a steel cable

There are many stories about the monster and its photographs, including fake ones, roaming the Internet. Most often, stories involve squid attacks on people. For example, in 2011, the story of how a kraken attacked a 12-meter fishing boat and sank it in front of hundreds of eyewitnesses caused widespread resonance. This really happened. All but one fisherman died - and even that last one was brutally mutilated by the giant’s powerful suction cups.

In 2007, the world's largest squid was caught near Antarctica. last years. Of course, scientists really wanted to fully examine it, but at that time they did not have suitable equipment, so they decided to freeze the animal until better times. The giant's parameters are as follows: 9 meters in length, about half a ton in weight. The animal was dubbed mesonychoteuthys, the colossal squid, or the Antarctic giant squid. Its description was first given by the famous zoologist Robson. Since then, information about him has not been updated for a long time, so many have completely forgotten about him. However, in 1970, the larvae of the monster were discovered, and nine years later another adult specimen, reaching a length of a meter, was discovered.

In 2004, Japanese scientists for the first time managed to film Mesonychoteuthys on great depth

At the colossal squid long body unusual torpedo-shaped. The length of the mantle can reach 3 meters, and together with the tentacles - 10. The largest representatives weigh about 500 kilograms. However, there is undocumented evidence of larger individuals.

The mantle itself is quite soft and wide, ending in a sharp tail with powerful fins. When spread out, they are shaped like a heart. The animal has amazing eyes, consisting of a pair of photophores, and truly huge - on average twenty centimeters in diameter. Squid tentacles have large round suckers arranged in two rows, as well as suckers and hooks. He also has so-called “catching hands.” They are massive at the base and thin at the ends. But the mollusk’s main weapon is its hard chitinous beak.

It is worth telling in more detail about the suckers on the tentacles. Their diameter ranges from 2-6 cm; around each sucker there is a chitinous ring with sharp teeth. With their help, the squid can easily grab and hold prey. This leaves circular scars on the victim's skin.

Scars from squid tentacles have been spotted on sperm whales more than once, this confirms the enmity of the species

This type squid live mainly in Antarctic waters, often in groups of several representatives. Closer to the north their numbers decrease. They usually hunt alone. Colossal squids have also been seen off the coast South Africa, South America and New Zealand. The depth of their residence is usually 2-4 kilometers, to the surface huge squid almost does not rise, so it is very difficult to study the features of their natural behavior. The probable habitats of squids are determined by temperature; they prefer to swim at temperatures from -1 to 0 degrees.

Although very little is known to humans about the life of these creatures, some features were still found out. Their body contains a huge amount of a substance called ammonium chloride, which helps reduce their specific gravity. This is why squids have the greatest buoyancy among mollusks. This gives them the opportunity to silently approach a potential victim, then grab it with tentacles with hooks and tear it to pieces. The most common food for squids are anchovies and different types fish, however, among them it was also observed that they ate their own kind, in particular small and weak representatives of the species.

Almost without moving, they are able to effectively cut through the water column and develop a decent speed

Despite their size and physical strength, squids also have enemies. Of course, the main one is the sperm whale, this was found out from the remains of mollusks in their stomachs. Also, cubs that carelessly rise to the surface can become victims of albatross or Antarctic toothfish - predatory perch-like fish. In many cases, humans also pose a danger to giants: the most delicate squid meat is an ingredient in many dishes. True, taking into account the size giant squid, rings from it would be the size of car tires.

Stories and Legends of Giant Squids

Each discovery associated with these creatures caused a huge stir both in the scientific world and among ordinary people. A few years ago, a monster washed up on the shores of New Zealand; its tentacles were 5 meters long. Employees of a nearby museum managed to save the carcass from hungry vultures. Scientists examined the creature and determined that it was an adult female. Squids grow very quickly, but do not live long. It was not possible to understand why exactly the squid died, but it was clearly not hunger or an attack by a predator.

The legend of the Kraken was used by the creators of the film "Pirates" Caribbean Sea: Dead Man's Chest"

But for a long time, scientists had no reason to believe that giant squids actually exist. Due to their deep-sea lifestyle, this is not surprising. And in cases where animals washed ashore, they were already dead and partially decomposed. The creatures have such a terrifying appearance and size that they have always seemed to people like some kind of mystical monsters from the other world. For example, in Jules Verne's famous novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, a huge squid attacks a submarine. And the scientist R. Ellis in one of his works notes that the most frightening sight in the world, even scarier than a shark- these are giant, saucer-like squid eyes emerging from the depths of the sea.

For the most part, people are almost always scared by the unknown. Squids practically do not show aggression towards people, however, in legends about sea monsters they have always appeared as the most dangerous representatives animal world. In ancient Norse mythology, an evil Kraken arises, so gigantic that its body, partially protruding from the water, resembles several large islands. This misled the sailors; they rushed there to get clean water and food, but then powerful tentacles burst out of the water, instantly ending the lives of the unfortunates.

Museums store long-discovered and carefully collected specimens, but even they do not give all the answers, do not reveal all the secrets about giant squids

There are many ancient illustrations of how artists of yesteryear imagined this creature. In particular, there are many images mortal combat between a squid and a sperm whale, with the former being presented as the aggressor, which is fundamentally incorrect.

Huge squids are undoubtedly one of the wonders of nature, which never ceases to amaze people, creating creatures that are even difficult for the human mind to imagine. And those who happened to see these creatures in real life, they will definitely never forget this.

The first mention of this single representative of the genus Mesonychoteuthis dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. The famous zoologist Robson G.K. described a colossal squid, the weight of which reached half a ton. In subsequent years, there was no information about it, and the giant creature was almost forgotten. But in 1970, the larvae of this deep-sea monster were found, and 9 years later an adult specimen more than a meter long was discovered. The world first learned about the existence of these mollusks in 1856. After the scientist Steenstrup decided to compare the size of the beak discovered on the ocean shore with the size of an ordinary squid. The result was shocking - according to the data obtained, it turned out that the mollusk must be simply huge.

Description

The colossal squid has an elongated torpedo-shaped body. The length of its mantle reaches three meters, and together with the tentacles - all ten. The weight of especially large representatives can be 500 kilograms. However, there is information about larger mollusks 20 meters long and weighing more than a ton, but this data is not documented.

The mantle is wide, the last third of its length is completed by a narrow sharp tail, surrounded by powerful, thick, terminal fins. They make up almost half the length of the mollusk’s body and, when spread out, form a shape reminiscent of a heart. The mantle is soft, approximately 5-6 cm thick. The infundibular and occipital cartilages are thick, short, slightly curved, and in adult specimens lack tubercles.

The colossal squid has amazing eyes. The photo below gives you a good look at them. Consisting of two photophores, they are truly huge - their diameter reaches 27 centimeters. No known animal on the planet has such giant eyes.

The tentacles are equipped with two rows of round suckers on clubs, two rows of hooks located medially, and small lateral suckers. The squid also has powerful long hunting arms, massive at the base with a wide membrane and thin ends. On the gripping tentacles, or rather in their middle part, there are several pairs of hood-like hooks, and their lower part is equipped with suction cups.

The main weapon that the colossal squid possesses is its hard, powerful chitinous beak.

Habitats

The giant clam is found mainly in Antarctic waters, where it can form clusters of several individuals. IN northern regions Their numbers are smaller and they hunt mostly alone. Squids have also been found off the coast of South Africa, New Zealand and South America.

The Antarctic colossal squid, the photo of which is posted here, is found at a depth of 2-4 thousand meters and practically does not float to the surface. This makes it difficult to study its behavior in natural conditions.

The hypothetical location of the mollusk can be determined by the temperature of the water surface. Thus, the greatest probability of encountering it is possible at a water temperature of -0.9 to 0 ºС. From December to March they can be seen in high Antarctic latitudes.

Dimensions

Sexual dimorphism is expressed somewhat unusually - female colossal squids are much larger than males. The remains of mollusks of both sexes were found in the stomachs of sperm whales. The length of their bodies was 80-250 centimeters, and their weight was up to 250 kilograms. The largest colossal squid in history was caught by New Zealand fishermen in 2007 in Antarctic waters. The length of his mantle was 3 m, the total length was 10 m, and his weight was 495 kg.

Features of nutrition and reproduction

Of course, little is known about the life of these giant mollusks, but scientists were able to identify unique ability. Their body contains a large number of ammonium chloride, which helps reduce specific gravity, which gives squid neutral buoyancy. Thanks to this, they can cut through the water without moving. Thus, predators have the opportunity to camouflage themselves and wait for their prey. They grab prey that swims too close with their tentacles and tear it apart with hooks.

Giants feed mainly glowing anchovies, mesopelagic fish, Antarctic toothfish. However, cannibalism is not excluded in their genus. Adult mollusks can eat fry and immature individuals of their species.

Individuals become sexually mature when the length of the mantle is at least 1 meter and the weight is more than 25 kg. Spawning occurs at the end of winter or in early spring.

Enemies

Despite its impressive size, the colossal squid, described above, has its enemies. The main one is the sperm whale. This was determined by the discovered remains of colossal squids in their stomachs. Albatrosses and Antarctic toothfish can feed on small immature individuals.

Naturally, humans are a particularly serious enemy of the deep-sea mollusk. Tender squid meat is used to prepare various dishes. However, if you make this giant a traditional dish calamari, then the diameter of the rings cut from it will be comparable to the diameter of tractor tires.

Cases of attack on a person

More precisely about their attacks on people, it has been written in many works of art. The most famous of them are the works of Jules Verne.

But there are also cases described in real life when a colossal squid attacked ships. Thus, one of the precedents occurred with French sailors during the round-the-world race.

According to one of their yachtsmen, Olivier de Kersuason, a mollusk grabbed their yacht by the stern just a few hours after they left Brittany. Sailors said that a deep-sea giant wrapped its thick tentacles, thicker than a human leg, around the ship and began to pull the ship into the sea. With two tentacles he blocked the ship's rudder. But fortunately, the yachtsmen did not have to fight him off. As soon as the yacht stopped, the mollusk loosened its grip and disappeared into the depths of the ocean.

As the sailors later said, the length of the squid’s body exceeded 8 meters, and if the creature had turned out to be more aggressive, it would have been quite capable of turning over and sinking the yacht.

Little-known predators

In total, scientists have recorded about 250 cases of human encounters with colossal squid, but only a few managed to see this giant alive. The scientists themselves did not have such an opportunity. They only have to study the remains removed from the stomachs sea ​​predators, and bodies washed ashore or caught by sailors.

Although little known, the colossal squid is incomparable with any other representative of its class. Its dimensions and photos can amaze anyone. Deep-sea colossi, according to some sources, reach a length of 20 meters and weigh up to a ton.

How many years these giants live in the world remains a mystery. It is possible that quite a bit, since the lifespan of many already studied squid species is just over a year.

The colossal squid, also called the Antarctic giant squid, belongs to the cranchiidae family. This species lives in waters north of Antarctica to southern South America, South Africa and the southern tip of New Zealand. It feeds at great depths. For adult individuals it reaches 2.2 km, and for young squid it reaches 1 km. These deep-sea inhabitants represent the main prey for sperm whales. They make up 75% of the total biomass these whales consume.

Description

This species is one of the largest among known invertebrates. The length of the mantle is 2-4 meters. The maximum total length reaches 12-14 meters with a weight of up to 750 kg. Such parameters were established through the analysis of small and immature samples. But catching a large specimen is extremely difficult, since it lives at great depths.

The largest specimen was caught in February 2007 by New Zealand fishermen in the Ross Sea. They were catching Antarctic toothfish, and it just so happened that the colossal squid was also hunting them. He got caught in the net and was lifted onto the ship. There he was frozen and delivered to his destination port. Its original length was estimated at 4.5 meters with a weight of 495 kg. After thawing, the tentacles shrank and the total length was 4.2 meters. At first they thought it was a male, but after a thorough examination it turned out that they had caught a female.

This sample's eyes reached 27 cm in diameter. These are the largest eyes of all known animals. But the measurements were taken from a dead individual, and in a living one they most likely reached a diameter of 30 to 40 cm. Also, when examined with an endoscope, thousands of eggs were discovered in the ovaries.

Almost half the length of the mantle is made up of fins. They are extremely muscular and thick. The tentacles have 2 rows of suction cups and sharp three-pointed hooks. The hunting tentacles are strong, thick and long. In their middle part they have hooks, and at the end they are equipped with suction cups for a third of their length. The tentacles are arranged in a circle, and in the center there is a hard and powerful beak, reminiscent in shape of a parrot's beak.

The body of the colossal squid is wider and more voluminous than the body of the giant squid. Accordingly, it is heavier. It is believed that representatives of this species have a longer mantle and shorter tentacles than their giant relatives. This species is considered the largest of all known squids..

Reproduction, behavior, nutrition

Very little is known about these representatives of the deep sea. Fragments of the body of a colossal squid were first discovered in the stomach of a sperm whale in 1925. In 1981, Russian fishermen caught a large specimen 4 meters long in the Ross Sea. She was identified as an immature female. In 2003, fragments of a female's body were discovered with an estimated length of 6 meters and a mantle length of 2.5 meters. In 2005, a colossal squid was captured and brought aboard at a depth of 1,625 meters off South Georgia Island. The length of its tentacles reached 2.3 meters, and its weight reached 200 kg.

This species is a passive predator. The squid hangs in the water and waits for its prey to appear. Big eyes used to detect prey. It feeds mainly on large deep-sea fish and other squid. The main part of the catch is Antarctic toothfish. Young representatives of the species prefer zooplankton.

Nothing is known about reproduction, since this process has never been observed in practice. All information is obtained based on anatomical structure. Females are larger than males. Puberty occurs at a mantle length of 1 meter and a body weight of 30 kg. These squids spawn in early spring. Estimated fertility is up to 4 million eggs. The number of this species is high; it is endemic to Antarctica.

(Architeuthis) and Colossal squid ( Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni). In January 2008, off the coast of Antarctica, a team of international ANTCON observers, while fishing for toothfish, while moving through the D'Urville Sea on a South Korean fishing vessel, encountered a crimson colossal squid.

When lifting a hook with a large specimen of toothfish, it was held tightly in the tentacles of a colossal squid. The victim was still alive, but the whole body was covered with traces of suction cups, the diameter of which reached three centimeters. U dorsal fin a piece of meat, 2-3 kilos to the spine, was torn out.

"Control" of the colossal squid

In the life of a fisherman, it is not uncommon to see tentacle marks on a caught toothfish. Up to 10% of the catch passes through the “control” of the squid. When the fish leaves depths of the sea, the predator releases it, so seeing a live colossal squid is very rare. Most studies are based on the remains of dead cephalopods.

Squids are monocyclic

Squids are monocyclic; when they reach a certain age, they give birth and die soon after. The corpses of squid either wash up on the shore, or they become food for various sea ​​creatures. Sometimes fishermen find tentacles, pieces of mantle, and squid beaks in the stomach of their catch.

All squids belong to the same species

Until recently, it was assumed that the giant squid genus consists of about 8 species. But recent genetic studies by scientists have shown that the differences in the genome of 43 species of squid were insignificant, which means that all individuals belong to the same species.

Source of material: interview with Polit.ru specialists, “Russian scientists managed to film a colossal squid,” dated March 25, 2013.

Video: Ivan Istomin/FSUE VNIRO

At the beginning of 2013, the world media reported that Japanese scientists, together with the Discovery TV channel, were for the first time able to film a living giant squid about three meters long. But it turns out that Russian scientists from the All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography have been storing a video recording of a deep-sea monster that they encountered in Antarctic waters for several years. A Polit.ru correspondent met with specialists from the institute Ivan Istomin And Alexander Vagin for details.

Under what circumstances did you meet this creature?

Alexander Vagin: This happened in January 2008 in the D'Urville Sea off the coast of Antarctica. We worked on a South Korean fishing vessel as international observers for ANTCON (Antarctic Marine Living Resources Commission) during the toothfish fishery. This is a large valuable deep sea fish, which is found in the Antarctic seas and reaches a length of up to two meters. They catch it using a bottom line. This is a strong synthetic rope several kilometers long with weights, to which hooks with pieces of squid or small fish as bait.

A. Vagin (left) and I. Istomin (center) weigh a caught toothfish

Ivan Istomin: That day we chose a longline installed at a depth of about one and a half kilometers. At some point, a large specimen of toothfish approached the board on a hook, its body tightly entangled with tentacles of a huge squid. It looked several times larger than its victim and was light at first, and then changed color to a bright purple, like the underwater part of our ship. By luck, I had a camera with me and managed to film this creature. In addition, we were very lucky with the weather - sunny, windless days do not happen so often in these parts.

How did the team react? It's probably not every day that you come across such a catch.

A.V.: The sailors, among whom were Chinese, Vietnamese and Indonesians, began shouting loudly in unknown languages, waving hooks and doing their best to “save” the toothfish. When they managed to hook the fish, the squid released its prey and plunged several meters into the water. Then he surfaced again, sticking part of his fin out of the water. At this time its color became more faded. After which the squid turned around and began to slowly dive, performing the so-called undulating fin movements, which are clearly visible in the video recording.

Did you manage to determine the size of the squid?

Colossal squid tentacle from the stomach of a toothfish. Photo by Ivan Istomin

A.V.: When the fish was lifted onto the deck, we examined it carefully. It turned out to be a really large specimen, 178 centimeters long and weighing 65 kilograms. By comparing the sizes of the fish and squid in the photograph, we determined that its mantle is about four meters long and at least half a meter in diameter. The total length appears to have been more than five meters. Typically, squids have four pairs of short tentacle arms and one pair of long hunting arms. Our specimen's long tentacles were torn off. Most likely, he lost them in a fight with a predator. Before this overall size could reach 8-10 meters.

Yes, really gigantic. Not long ago, a squid only 3 meters long was captured on camera off the coast of Japan.

I.I.: Here it is worth immediately clarifying that in nature there are two genera of large mollusks: Giant squids ( Architeuthis) and Colossal squid with a single representative ( Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni). The copy that the Japanese took in natural environment habitat, belonged to the first kind, and ours - to the second. Colossal squids are actually quite well studied, but it appears that this one was larger than many previously studied.

And what happened to the fish? Did the squid cause any damage to her?

Tracks left by a squid on a toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni). Photo by Ivan Istomin

A.V.: The entire body of the toothfish was covered with traces of suckers, the largest of which reached three centimeters in diameter. A piece of meat two or three kilograms down to the spine was torn out of the dorsal fin. However, the fish was still alive.

Do you regret not being able to catch the squid itself?

I.I.: The captain of the Korean ship did not see this episode, and then he swore strongly that the crew was busy rescuing the catch and did not pull the squid onto the deck. On the one hand, it would be interesting for us as scientists to study this creature in more detail. But then we wouldn't have gotten the wonderful footage of him moving. So our biggest regret is that we weren’t able to watch the squid longer.

You regularly take part in sea expeditions, including working on fishing vessels. Do you know of any other sightings of huge squids?

A squid beak removed from the stomach of a toothfish. Photo by Ivan Istomin

A.V.: Attack large squid on hooked toothfish is not a rare occurrence. In some areas of Antarctica where fishing is carried out, up to 10% of fish caught bear traces of suckers and wounds inflicted by the squid’s “beak”. But usually they release their prey in the depths, so encounters with living giants are very rare. But thanks to the peculiarities of squid biology, scientists have the opportunity to study their remains. The fact is that these creatures are monocyclic. That is, having reached a certain age, they bear offspring and die soon after that. After this, they are either washed ashore or become food for various marine predators. We often found tentacles up to two meters long or pieces of mantle several centimeters thick in the stomach of the same toothfish.

I.I.: In other words, dead squid have been studied quite well. But to see a live giant squid, and even more so to film it in such good weather conditions It succeeds extremely rarely! Although there are always many stories among sailors.

And what examples have you ever heard of?

Fragment of a squid tentacle. Photo by Ivan Istomin

I.I.: As is known, the largest specimen of the giant squid Architeuthis was found on the coast of New Zealand. Its length, including its hunting tentacles, was 17.4 meters. Among fishermen one hears stories about how real monsters over two tens of meters in length were raised along with the caught fish. It is difficult to judge whether this is true or just maritime tales. But it is reliably known that on the skins of sperm whales, which actively consume squid as food, marks from suction cups with a diameter of several tens of centimeters were found. Considering that our specimen, with a mantle length of about five meters, had three-centimeter suckers, these stories do not seem too fantastic. No matter how long we study the ocean, it will still hide its secrets from us.

Reference:

Giant and colossal squids are not only the largest invertebrates on the planet, but also occupy second place after the sperm whale among largest predators. Many experts believe that it was these creatures that gave rise to the legends of the sea monster Kraken, which first appeared in Icelandic folklore. If the colossal squid Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni found only in southern seas off the coast of Antarctica, giant squids of the genus Architeuthis live throughout almost the entire world's oceans. Until recently, it was assumed that the giant squid genus consists of at least 8 species. But recent genetic research published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society shows that this is not the case. Scientists analyzed the DNA of 43 giant squid individuals found in different parts of the planet. The differences in the genome were so slight that all individuals turned out to belong to the same species.