POST YOUR COLOSSAL SQUID QUESTIONS HERE

[OB]

OB, does this suggest that females stop eating like a brooding octopus? That would kind of kill the idea that the female octo doesn't eat because food might contaminate the eggs (or has that theory been dropped already?).

Well, first and foremost, the atrophy thesis needs to be supported by more real life datapoints, but if it were to hold up to further scrutiny, it might also indicate a change of diet, not so much a stop eating altogether attitude. If Steve is right (ho-hum!), mature blobby females might not require active predation to meet their protein requirements.

 

[Steve O'Shea]

.... I don't think they took the statolith from the large one since it appeared to be major dissection when Ku took it out of the damaged squid and this one was destined for display.

The statoliths were not removed from the larger specimen. The statoliths of the smaller specimen are frozen in my freezer, next to the steak, frozen peas, and ~ 100kg of Architeuthis gonads.

 

[Steve O'Shea]

I don't recall if Steve ever pronounced them fertilize or not

Very immature D; a long way from fertilisation (and no spermatophores in the mantle).

 

[Steve O'Shea]

If Steve is right (ho-hum!), mature blobby females might not require active predation to meet their protein requirements.

... well, an Antarctic toothfish might usually swim 0.2m its body length a second, and can probably manage speeds of 3x body length per second for short bursts (to escape predation). We're not talking tuna here, so there's no need to think of Mesonychoteuthis as being a major, active predator. It feeds alright, but an Antarctic toothfish might sustain it for several days at least .... just think of a giant blob with muscular arms and blobby mantle making do with what it stumbles upon, and not letting go of it.

 

[OB]

Call me Mesonychoteuthis

 

[sorseress]

Me too!

 

[baldtankman]

Would the atrophy "idea" explain why, to my eye at least the 2003 specimen has much larger arms and hooks?

 

[esquid]

The statoliths of the smaller specimen are frozen in my freezer, next to the steak, frozen peas, and ~ 100kg of Architeuthis gonads.

I hope you pay attention when pulling out dinner and that things are wrapped well.

 

[Tintenfisch]

That would kind of kill the idea that the female octo doesn't eat because food might contaminate the eggs (or has that theory been dropped already?).

Hmm, I don't think I've come across this theory before (did I miss it somewhere else?), and it seems like an odd one... the food is contained within the digestive tract, so I'm not sure where the contamination would occur. The theories more often suggested (in squid at least) are that a) the gonads take up so much room in the mantle that there's no room for food in the stomach/caeca; b) the squid focuses all its energy on gonad & egg production and simply stops feeding; and/or the muscle tissues begin degenerating as the eggs mature, so that the animal is perhaps physically unable to pursue food anymore. Or any combination of the above.

 

[sorseress]

The statoliths were not removed from the larger specimen. The statoliths of the smaller specimen are frozen in my freezer, next to the steak, frozen peas, and ~ 100kg of Architeuthis gonads.

Do you have them marked with a "use by date"?

 

[DWhatley]

I hope you pay attention when pulling out dinner and that things are wrapped well.

Well, I guess I am safe if I am ever invited to dinner. I should be able to tell the difference between squid parts and steak and I DON'T eat peas

 

[sorseress]

People eat Rocky Mountain Oysters....I think guys think it makes them more macho. If you think about the symbolism, the giant squid oysters should be even more..... oh, never mind.

 

[DWhatley]

Hmm, I don't think I've come across this theory before (did I miss it somewhere else?), and it seems like an odd one... the food is contained within the digestive tract, so I'm not sure where the contamination would occur. The theories more often suggested (in squid at least) are that a) the gonads take up so much room in the mantle that there's no room for food in the stomach/caeca; b) the squid focuses all its energy on gonad & egg production and simply stops feeding; and/or the muscle tissues begin degenerating as the eggs mature, so that the animal is perhaps physically unable to pursue food anymore. Or any combination of the above.

I recently read or heard the contamination idea (a couple of times but again within the last couple of days but I can't find the clip) and don't know if there was any science behind where the idea originated but my take-away impression was to think it was talking about loose bits of food contaminating the den. I was inclined to discount it but I have only grown out Mercs from one female and I was able to get both my females (mother and daughter) to eat through out the incubation so none of the theories fit my experience. I did find that, as the eggs were closer to hatching, only dead food would be accepted.

 

[Steve O'Shea]

I did find that, as the eggs were closer to hatching, only dead food would be accepted.

This is very interesting!

 

[Tintenfisch]

Ahh, gotcha, contamination of the eggs in the den, not while still inside the body. Makes much more sense.