Moroteuthis robusta display (Seattle Aquarium)

Tony,
Here is a photo of our newest (preserved) resident at the Seattle Aquarium, a 9-foot (stretched out) Moroteuthis robusta. This one washed ashore here in Puget Sound on May 11th. It is now part of a 2 month display here, pickled in alcohol. This type of big squid is an infrequent (but not rare) and terminal visitor to our area. They are almost always found dead on the beach in the summer. They have never had food in the gut and are almost always spawned out, so I think they are at the end of their lives when they washed into our bays. I know of 5 that have washed up this year. That's me behind the squid, and no, I'm not pickled!
Best regards,
Dr. Roland Anderson