[BREAKING NEWS]: Colossal Squid

[nanoteuthis]

As a complement to "Archie," perhaps Mesonychoteuthis ought to be referred to as "Mason."

Better yet, as a complement/compliment to "Nessie", how about "Messie"? (I've got a feeling that would be descriptive of the way they eat....)

 

[Clem]

The Patagonian toothfish would certainly agree.

 

[WhiteKiboko]

interesting... couldnt find anything pertaining to Mesonychoteuthis on CephBase... i guess there's really not enough info yet to bother with an entry...

 

[Sedusa]

Hi WhiteKiboko,

CephBase Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni entry

Saw it the other day when I heard the news and was digging around for info, thought I'd post a link for ya

Saul

 

[WhiteKiboko]

dont know why i couldnt find with the search...oh well, thanks!

 

[nanoteuthis]

The Patagonian toothfish would certainly agree.

Hi Clem -- according to the CephBase chart, the Patagonian toothfish is Messie's predator, not its prey. Then again, I assume that applies to full-grown PTs vs. larval Messies. (I've got a feeling that when we're talking about full-grown Messies, the predator-prey relationship is vice-versa!)



Tani, Armed Marauder of the Benthic Abyss!

 

[nanoteuthis]

Re: tintinfisch, her er jeg

hei, sosterin min! jer er naa en member paa tonmo. jeg ser et bardun har deg spoer, han "zu verheiraten". hva vil du svare? er hun svaer axel?
jeg har ogsaa alle artikkelene las. veldig veldig fint!

Flaggermus, kial vi skribas norvege? Mi parlas esperante -- nur iomete -- sed neniam mi skribus esperante cxi tie! (Ne cxagrenigxi, mi sole sxercas )

Amike,
Tani

 

[Clem]

I do believe the latest Mesonycho specimen was apprehended in the act of sucking down Patagonian Toothfish.

Steve O'Shea told the CBC that it was snapping the toothfish off of baited hooks. "Biting them off behind the head" was how he described it.

An unpleasant image.

 

[Steve O'Shea]

Did I say that I guess it must be true then

Actually, when small (as in considerably smaller than this present specimen), Mesonychoteuthis almost certainly would be eaten by larger Patagonian Toothfish, but as the squid grows predator soon becomes prey (so this might explain the toothfish being cited as 'predator' on cephbase - based on toothfish stomach content analysis).

Could go either way
Cheers
O

 

[nanoteuthis]

I do believe the latest Mesonycho specimen was apprehended in the act of sucking down Patagonian Toothfish.

Steve O'Shea told the CBC that it was snapping the toothfish off of baited hooks. "Biting them off behind the head" was how he described it.

An unpleasant image.

Ouch -- gives new meaning to the phrase "instant karma"! James Wood is gonna have to add Patagonian Toothfish to the Prey chart too. Sounds like what happens to hatchling crocodiles, some of which are eaten by large fish, while the surviving hatchlings grow up to eat the same species of fish in turn.

Suddenly those wild stories -- about "giant squid" attacking boats and pulling down sailors hanging on to life rafts -- don't sound as apocryphal anymore, assuming the culprits were Messies rather than Archis. Ditto the speculation about size. The account by that Merchant Marine guy from the 1940s who saw a huge squid swimming beside his boat, which he estimated to be about 100 ft. long, was probably accurate too.

Now the question of finding a live "giant squid" becomes more complicated. Coming face-to-face with a live Architeuthis is an exhilarating prospect. Coming face-to-face with a live Mesonychoteuthis is both exhilarating and frightening. One would hope that, in the latter case, we find it before it finds us.

I can just hear H.P. Lovecraft's ghost laughing with delight....!

=

 

[Steve O'Shea]

just beat you to that posting by seconds Tani (same wavelength eh)

 

[nanoteuthis]

Could go either way
Cheers
O

Hey Steve-O', looks like we posted to the Board at the same time! Now I feel vindicated by an expert

The Tanster

 

[nanoteuthis]

just beat you to that posting by seconds Tani (same wavelength eh)

You took the words right outta my beak!

 

[Clem]

Taningia,

Yes, Lovecraft would be delighted with Mason/Messy, as would H.G.Wells (read his short story, "The Sea Raiders").

Then again, Lovecraft might have been one of "them."



Clem

 

[nanoteuthis]

Taningia,

Yes, Lovecraft would be delighted with Mason/Messy, as would H.G.Wells (read his short story, "The Sea Raiders").

Then again, Lovecraft might have been one of "them."

[the Innsmouth look? - TD]

Clem

Hi Clem --

Iä! Iä! Cthulhu fhtagn! I see you are among the many TONMOers who venerate the Eldritch Gentleman from Providence. There are several of us here who have made that wise choice, as when awakes from his aeons-long sleep in R'lyeh, we will have the privilege of being eaten last. Not too shabby, eh?

Is "Sea Raiders" the one about the guy who stumbles upon a meeting of super-intelligent Octos plotting to take over the world? I think I read that years ago, and it was very good -- ya can't miss with either HGW or HPL! (Obviously they were both One of Them....)

And BTW, thank you for being the only person on this board with enough class to call me by my beautiful genus name. (All you other peasants, take note! ) C'mon over here so I can give you a BIG HUG:

http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/squid_taningia_surprise.html

(Was it good for you too?)

La Belle Taningia
(Ms. Danae If You're Nasty!)