Colossal Squid (Mesonychoteuthis) Pictures

LIVE?! MATURE ?!? PHOTOS?!?! VIDEO?!?!?! My brain is having trouble taking this in :shock:

The 'sad' thing doesn't sound good, but still, WOW! Can't wait.
 
A clarification about Messie

Dear All,

Can someone help me clarify something?

Depending on which report of the discovery of this particular specimen of Messie you read, it was either dead in the water, or else alive in the water, and dead by the time it got into the boat.

I've also read Dr O'Shea's reference to the creature's eyes being destroyed during capture.

Can someone please clarify for me whether the creature was dead or alive on capture, if it was alive how it was killed and what happened to the eyes?

Just wondering for some research I'm doing.

Many thanks
D
 
Two Mesonychoteuthis (at least; possibly a third) have now been sighted live at the surface, following Antarctic Toothfish on longline hooks to the surface. Also, there are now a number of reports of Antarctic Toothfish being retrieved from ~ 1000m depth with whopping great chunks out of them that are consistent with Mesonychoteuthis bites; there are also numerous reports of Antarctic Toothfish with Mesonychoteuthis beaks in the stomachs - one inconceivably large set of beaks, upper and lower, of LRL 45mm recently collected from one 'standard-sized' fish. We are NOT saying that the Toothfish is eating Colossal Squid of colossal proportion ... something else is up (perhaps eating dead specimens on the sea floor). We'll get to the bottom of this this coming week, as Kat and I are off on a wee journey.

Exactly how many of these reports have made it into scientific literature I am not sure, but I can assure you that they are true.

The eyes on the Mesonychoteuthis to date have all been destroyed (the large specimens), but there is some video of a live specimen that we are trying to obtain that might just show the eyes (a specimen at the sea surface in the Antarctic). Kat, myself and George Jackson (Australia) have nearly finished a manuscript redescribing the species based on new material - we're off next week to get the final bits of information that are required to complete it.

Hope that helps
O
 
You rock Steve!
:band:

I will be on the edge of my seat until I hear all about this! :shock:
 
how big would the squid be if you scale up from the "inconcievably large beak"??? bigger than colossal? "supermegatitanicunfeasiblylarge" squid? :mesonych: :cthulhu:
 
Dr O'Shea,

Many thanks for your reply.

My question was directed specifically to the Mesonychoteuthis found in April 2003 by those fisherman in the Ross Sea-

Did they kill it, and is that how its eyes were destroyed? What were the circumstances?

Or was it dead when hauled into the boat?

Be grateful to know.
D
 
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm. Ok, we understand that the 2003 specimen was live when *caught*; there was video also, except it wasn't the sort of thing that could be broadcast; knives, handles, long things, you name it were all speared into the squid in order to get it aboard ... but despite all of this action (all filmed from the deck, but looking at the backs of heads ... nothing of the squid) by someone using some of the most vile language (unrepeatable) I've ever heard, THERE IS NOT ONE SHOT OF THE SQUID WHILST LIVE!! We saw the video whilst in Napier - a brother (or other such relative) of one of the guys on the boat at the time had a copy of it.

When the specimen was first brought to our attention it was relayed to us that it was live, and that it was actually one of two squid that were caught by this vessel in 2003 (only one of which was saved). Unfortunately there was a huge stink ... you wouldn't believe it ... when we reported that animal to the press (politics), and after this time there has been no further information relayed to us about it. So, all we have to go on is:

1) it was alive, and
2) it was one of two specimens caught that season.

The eyes must have been destroyed during retrieval (they had been torn off/out); given the treatment of the specimen at the time it was caught this doesn't surprise me in the least. Usually when a squid is retrieved in a net the eyes will be damaged, but not torn off or out, which makes me think that they are incredibly large and quite protruding (hence delicate) in this species, much like they are in a number of other cranchiid genera (and in these genera with protruding, large eyes, they are frequently ripped off by the trawl).

Given the number of sightings of Mesonychoteuthis of late (given our ever-expanding encroachment [fisheries] into Antarctic waters) it is only a matter of time before the animal is either caught live (on film), or a good-quality specimen is captured. I think I would be happier to see imagery of the live animal - we don't need another specimen.

Hope that helps
O
 

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