[News]: Very Large Colossal Squid Caught

**tonmo** · Feb 22, '07, 12:36am

Jim Anderton (NZ Fisheries Minister) has announced the capture of an enormous Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni specimen. It was caught in Antarctica and is now in NZ. Story is here:

Amazing specimen of world's largest squid in NZ

**monty** · Feb 22, '07, 1:04am

dangit, why don't they ever show the EYES in these pictures...

the .doc file at the beginning has some more info: 450kg!

**Clem** · Feb 22, '07, 1:05am

Is this the same squid shown in the three photos posted here? (click) The operation performed to secure the new specimen looks like what's occurring in the third pic.

Originally Posted by monty

dangit, why don't they ever show the EYES in these pictures...

Monty, I think they do show one eye!

Clem

**monty** · Feb 22, '07, 1:46am

http://www.smh.com.au/news/science/s...733932836.html

this one includes another pic:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...-30417,00.html

http://www.stuff.co.nz/3970915a10.html

**monty** · Feb 22, '07, 2:13am

Originally Posted by Clem

Monty, I think they do show one eye!

Clem

The full size version at http://www.beehive.govt.nz/Gallery/I...pper%20mid.jpg

makes that look like just a fold of mantle or similar; something with skin... sadly.

**Clem** · Feb 22, '07, 2:22am

Originally Posted by monty

The full size version makes that look like just a fold of mantle or similar; something with skin... sadly.

Oh, well.

**Steve O'Shea** · Feb 22, '07, 3:15am

There's been a lot of squid news of late, hasn't there!

Who knows what is around the corner.

OB · Feb 22, '07, 4:45am

"Dr Steve O'Shea, from the Auckland University of Technology, says the previous largest find weighed 300 kilograms.

He says if calamari were made from the squid the rings would be the size of tractor tyres."

London Doubledecker tires, surely, good Doctor!

I'm thrilled and overjoyed at this, but sorry for the squid itself, obviously. So, will we now finally find out? Large eyes but mostly internalized, looking out thorough relatively tiny slits, as the first pictures seem to suggest?

**aron hills** · Feb 22, '07, 5:22am

Steve,
I really looking forward to any report you can provide after studying this incredible animal. Makes me want to come over to NZ today and ask if you need help!

**octobot** · Feb 22, '07, 5:55am

CBC Montreal
New Zealand fishermen catch rare squid
Seattle Post Intelligencer, WA - 1 hour ago
WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- A fishing crew has caught a colossal squid that could weigh a half-ton and prove to be the biggest specimen ever landed, ...
450kg Beastly Squid Hauled up from the Deep Bits of News
Biggest ever Colossal squid caught Independent Online
New Zealand fishermen land massive squid Scotsman
all 104 news articles

More...

New Zealand fishermen catch rare squid
Miami Herald, FL - 19 minutes ago
WELLINGTON, New Zealand - A fishing crew has caught a colossal squid that could weigh a half-ton and prove to be the biggest specimen ever landed, ...

More...

24dash.com
'Colossal' 990lb squid caught by New Zealand fishermen
24dash.com, UK - 17 minutes ago
A New Zealand fishing crew has caught and landed an adult specimen of the colossal squid - a sea creature with eyes as big as dinner plates and swivelling, ...

More...

10m Colossal Squid Landed By NZ Fishermen
ShortNews.com, Germany - 17 minutes ago
Fishermen in New Zealand have landed what is believed to be a world-record-breaking squid.The squid which took two hours to land in Antarctic waters weighs ...

More...

**Architeuthoceras** · Feb 22, '07, 9:51am

New picture on the BBC page

Eyes?

**Clem** · Feb 22, '07, 9:55am

...and this 450kg monster definitely is not the one we've recently seen pics of, since that one had a massive wound in the dorsal portion of the mantle. No such injury is visible in the AP-credited photo run by The Australian, or the BBC-hosted Getty Images shot (similar, but better)....

Edit:...as Architeuthoceras has already discovered!

OB · Feb 22, '07, 2:05pm

No eyes, only gaffing damage

OK, any bets on ML? 2,50 m? 2,65 m?

**Jean** · Feb 22, '07, 2:33pm

saw this on the tv news last night our own DR SOS was admirably restrained, I'd've been jumping up and down with excitement!!!

I hear it's heading to Te Papa (museum)......Steve are you getting a squiz first??????? Hope so, we'll be waiting for details!!!!!!!!

J

**Sordes** · Feb 22, '07, 2:36pm

I would suppose it was about 1,45 times the mantle length of the last catched Mesonychoteuthis, this would be a bit over 2m when I remember the mantle length of the juvenile correctly.

**sorseress** · Feb 22, '07, 3:14pm

Wahoo!

OB · Feb 22, '07, 3:20pm

I can recall from this site that it used to host an image of a huge, big mantle, big finned crimson squid, just below the surface; tiny black eyes. I think at the time Steve commented on that particular one that it was perhaps a spent female Moroteuthis. I would really like to get my hands on that since ommitted (!) photograph now, I feel a strange sense of recognition...

**CapnNemo** · Feb 22, '07, 3:43pm

sad that it died, but well done to the crew for managing to get the mantle as well, can't have been easy gaffing [sic] and pulling that weight onboard without the head coming off.