View Full Version : Jumbo Flying Squid


lifetrance
Oct 15th, 2004, 11:12pm
Strange-looking purple squid was discovered out of place up north:

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/10/15/flying.squid.ap/index.html

Me, I just want to know how it got its name!

-Brandon

Melissa
Oct 16th, 2004, 10:14am
There's a thread on this sighting in another forum:

http://www.tonmo.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?topic=3121&forum=4&p=34779#34779

Which name do you mean? Flying? Dosidicus gigas? Humboldt?

Species are often named by the scientist who discovers them and writes them up, but that's the scientific name, not the common name.

Melissa

cthulhu77
Oct 16th, 2004, 10:22am
For those of you who haven't read (or maybe read in a few years) the classic "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" (and be sure you get the 1975 or after translation, it is much, much different from the previous edited verstions) there is a great bit about naming of animals...Verne was at his best when he wrote that bit of prose...