[Featured]: Architeuthis (Giant Squid) Sightings

[Clem]

I would say we're seeing tentacles as "a lot of dark reddish matter" in the above pic.

Eh, I've made some false ID's of photo details before, but I'm pretty sure I can tell the difference between blood/ink stained water and tentacles.

 

[Phil]

On the subject of old threads, did we ever get to the bottom of this is-it-or-isn't-it-Archie pic from Tonga in 2003?

 

[OB]

I personally would know of no other squid of this appearance that would grow to such a size, and have it's arms chomped off by a cetacean

 

[Steve O'Shea]

We never did conclusively identify this specimen, but it is most likely to be Architeuthis. It is certainly more like Architeuthis than the 'mystery phylum' is like Tremoctopus, although I think Clem (Adam) has done a truly marvelous job convincing me of the latter being Tremoctopus. The only alternative for the pic (above) is that it is some giant onychoteuthid, but this is unlikely (for geographic reasons).

As to Adam's earlier post, I'd say the colour is considerably enhanced (it looks quite unnatural). What the earlier pic is of, again, is most likely Architeuthis, but I say so on the assumption that it is large (the arm posturing looks fake, but then I haven't seen too many giant squid at the surface).

 

[OB]

All three pics are of the same sequence, imo; the Architeuthis was lured to the surface whilst attacking a smaller squid used either as bait or previously hooked itself. The tell tale whitish ovoid seen in two out of three of the pictures lookes to me to be a phosphorescent squid jig. The alternative is that two Architeuthis of similar size and appearance where both "caught" under comparable circumstances, of course.

I don't see as much arm damage as Adam does, but then again, I also live under the silly impression that squid blood is copper based and therefore colourless with at best a blue hue when oxygenated

 

[Clem]

Where's my pencil

 

[OB]

Where's my beermat

 

[Archi]

im not sure if this has been posted on here before but i think this is the video from the Japanese expedition that caught the Architeuthis in December '06 (it's only about 8 seconds and the squid is quite quick)

 

[OB]

Archi,

This is the same people (Dr. Kubodera et al.), but a different species: it's Taningia danae, the "big fin flasher". Remarkable beast, eh?

 

[Archi]

thanks for clarifying that , i was a bit unsure

 

[Archi]

it didn't really seem like an architeuthis, because of the large fins

 

[Archi]

if anyone has some architeuthis photos id really like to see them, iv looked through a bit of the site but not really the guts of it. so basically if anyone has some architeuthis photos id really like to see them (i really find architeuthis fascinating!)

 

[Archi]

unlike my previous posts, im pretty sure that is the video from Dr Kubodera's expedition off the Ogasawara Islands off Japan where they almost caught the Architeuthis before it unfortunately died. The video is pretty interesting, it shows that even the juvenile Architeuthis is quite powerful with its attempts to propel away.

Anyway I hope I was right this time.....

Enjoy!

 

[Tintenfisch]

Yep, that's the right video. Go

('Kunodera'?? )

 

[Archi]

i guess they cant spell..