LIVING ARCHITEUTHIS PHOTO

**Clem** · Oct 04, '03, 3:59pm

Mega-Squid! (click here)

Running that term through image-search turned up a series of terrific photos of a very large squid dying on the coast of Japan. The animal lolls in a deep tidal pool, and a line has been fastened to it. The squid appears to have been alive when photographed, as the arms show quite a lot of movement between the individual frames, with one appendage appearing to slap atop one of the rocks ringing the pool. The URL provides the only English-language information on the pages, suggesting that the stranding took place in the Kyoto area, in February of 2002. Any TONMO'ers with Japanese reading ability, please take a crack at translating the text accompanying the photos.

Click image for larger version.

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Some squid.

Clem

**Steve O'Shea** · Oct 05, '03, 3:04pm

It is Architeuthis Clem; I'm surprised the images are online .... there are more, and they're sensational, but they're not images that a doco company could use, as some of them are pretty barbaric (the ropes). The specimen is now preserved in Japan.

I first saw these last year, in addition to another quite stunning pic ... and I'll say no more. I'm glad that the images are finally online, as it is THE FIRST LIVE ARCHITEUTHIS EVER PHOTOGRAPHED!!!

The images were used to try and secure funds to get a submersible working trenches off Japan, but the bid to secure funds was not successful. It is a shame really.

There's more that can be added to this story.

**Clem** · Oct 05, '03, 3:56pm

!

**tonmo** · Oct 05, '03, 4:18pm

Seeing that living eye is incredible!

**tonmo** · Oct 05, '03, 4:36pm

Scroll down on that page, and click on the blue hypertext characters to access SEVERAL MORE photos!

**Clem** · Oct 05, '03, 4:47pm

Holy...

All right, now that I'm no longer lying passed out on the floor, I should be able to respond to this news with more than an emphatic exclamation point.

I'm having to adjust my mental image of Architeuthis on the fly, as it were. The intact, living eye is incredible to see, and not what I expected; I'd have expected to see a larger orbit of generally round configuration, not an ellipse. In fact, it almost looks as if the animal has a sort of lid structure, but I'm ignorant of the particulars of Architeuthis ocular musculature.

Since we're all used to photgraphs of deflated, flaccid giants, the apparent robustness of this animal is startling, as is its apparent willingness (and ability) to extend appendages above the surface and onto the rocks. The sequence of photgraphs also shows what looks like color-shifting on the surfaces still bearing an intact skin integument, especially along the arms. Was it "flashing" its chromatophores?

Too many questions and not enough background information right now, so I'll just go back and stare for awhile. What an amzing thing.

Clem

**tonmo** · Oct 05, '03, 5:22pm

The translation of the site from Japanese to English, according to babelfish.altavista.com:

The enormous squid it appears! !

When in the Goshiki beach seashore of Amino Cho, overcoat length approximately 2m, the arm is extended on January 15th, the enormous squid which reaches to also 4m was captured.

At the point where inquires to Mr. Koutarou Tsuchiya of the Tokyo University of Fisheries, it was found that it is 1 kind of ƒ_ƒCƒIƒEƒCƒJ.

ƒ_ƒCƒIƒEƒCƒJ large number is discovered from midst of the stomach of the sperm whale, but as for the squid which this time is captured the arm to be thick the possibility of being new species is high in comparison with those, so is.

As for the specimen in a complete way, those which even in the world nearly 30 years ago are collected in Tottori prefecture just is 1 individual.

Sending to the National Science Museum as a valuable specimen, it is the schedule which is investigated.

Offering the people and the photograph of the local end which cooperation it receives to capture conveyance, and the like gratitude says in Chief Yoshino ward chief and Nakagawa of the Amino town hall agriculture and forestry marine products section whom it receives.

Method of being which more looked at the photograph clickingthis!

And then, on the second page:

Spitting ƒXƒ~, still, living it probably will do, is.

In spite even in the night, everyone of local end came to multitude sight-seeing.

While being connected to one late quay, it died. Discharge in order to keep with the refrigerator.
It is sent by the university, is investigated.

It returns to the front page

**squidflakes** · Oct 05, '03, 7:41pm

Wow, the smell must have been pretty bad. Amonical squid breaking the surface. Blech!

**rrtanton** · Oct 05, '03, 8:18pm

Just plain wow. It's good to see this reminder that there is more going on behind the scenes in research than we see...

rusty

**Fujisawas Sake** · Oct 05, '03, 8:53pm

NO FRIGGIN WAY!!!

These are REAL?!?! WAAAAAAHOOO!!!!!!

AMAZAING!

Steve, any thoughts?!?!?

John

**Fujisawas Sake** · Oct 05, '03, 9:01pm

Sweet cow of Moscow!!

Okay... breathe, John... *sigh*

First Question: The Eye.... was it reflecting light? Do they have a tapetum lucidum like certain mammals? .... Wow....

I can't believe this... Wow....

I can't even think of a second question....

John

**Steve O'Shea** · Oct 05, '03, 9:02pm

Thoughts? Many.

1) I wish I had been there.
2) I wish Dr Tsunemi Kubodera had been successful in securing funds to get a submersible deployed in the area where this brute was caught.
3) I wish I had been there.
4) I'm happy that these images are now online!!
5) I wish I had been there.

**Phil** · Oct 05, '03, 9:03pm

Incredible pictures. I can hardly believe I am looking at them.

I wonder how this animal was caught? Was it a fishing boat crew who caught it and towed the poor thing back to harbour? I don’t suppose we will ever know the details of the exact circumstances.

I agree the eye is not how I would have expected it to appear, somewhat smaller, and the arms have a somewhat flatter cross- section. Is that a keel on the third arm? It also seems that the outer skin on the mantle is peeling away; particularly noticable in the area around the fins. I wonder if that is damage caused by the rope, or is ‘moulting’ of the outer surface of the skin a normal feature?

Clem, I’m going to buy you a drink one day for this discovery!

**Steve O'Shea** · Oct 05, '03, 9:08pm

.... details are sketchy, but from what I understand the specimen was 'noosed' at sea (it was floating on the surface), then hauled back to land; it's in a big rockpool. There is no video (I asked last year; just these stills). The loss of skin could be attributed to capture treatment.

The eye is sitting within a socket in the head; note the anterior sinus .... they're not supposed to have this ... it's always lost in the frozen specimens (very onychoteuthid-like in appearance). The socket into which the eye fits is muscular, so what it is doing here is constricting, obscuring much of the eye.

ps, yes, that's a keel
pps, it's probably worthy of its own thread, don't you think??
ppps, the next sensational find is likely to be a live ammonite!

**tonmo** · Oct 05, '03, 9:18pm

Re: your PPS.... done!

That's some picture. I've written a kind note to the Webmaster to see if we can't have the photo hosted here on TONMO.com, and to see if there's any further info that can be lent.

-- tonmo

**Phil** · Oct 05, '03, 9:37pm

Originally Posted by Steve O'Shea

.
ppps, the next sensational find is likely to be a live ammonite!

Hey, you are not sitting on another batch of secret photos, by any chance? :D

Clem get to work! You never know what the good Doctor is hiding!

**Jean** · Oct 05, '03, 10:18pm

I wish I had been there.

Me too!

J

**Architeuthoceras** · Oct 05, '03, 10:56pm

Did someone say LIVE AMMONITE?

That Eye is spooky, why is it yellow? I'm going to have nightmares about a large bright yellow black & white eye. Those fishermen should have run into a school of those things, they would have pulled the boat under.

Did I hear LIVE AMMONITE?

**Clem** · Oct 05, '03, 11:57pm

...overcoat length approximately 2m, the arm is extended on January 15th, the enormous squid which reaches to also 4m was captured.

Perhaps "overcoat" is Babelfish's attempt at translating "mantle," as the animal appears longer than 2m overall. 4m looks about right for an overall length.

ƒ_ƒCƒIƒEƒCƒJ large number is discovered from midst of the stomach of the sperm whale, but as for the squid which this time is captured the arm to be thick the possibility of being new species is high in comparison with those, so is.

This might refer to the 3rd arm with its keel. The 4th arm pair is visible in the photos in their "zipped" configuration, beneath the animal and conforming to the surface of the rocks on the bottom of the pool; you can just make out the slightly spread tips of the arm pair on a patch of green seaweed. (Click here for frame.) In another frame, it appears that the squid has cocked its tentacular clubs, one to either side of the ventral surface of the mantle, giving the animal a somewhat comical "Spock" look. (Click here for frame.)

Spitting ƒXƒ~, still, living it probably will do, is.

Inking?

With all the onlookers present, you'd think someone would have brought their camcorder with them.

Clem