On the trail of the Giant Squid
Hi Steve,
Hopefully, this message will reach you (I am not sending you pm since you are apparently busy till Mar 19). I have just posted a message for you in ceph care forum. Since I am not sure whether it will catch you attention at all, I shall post a copy here:
"Hi Steve, I am not sure whether you are back or not or you're simply busy. I have posted another message (dated Mar 9, right after you posted your last message in this column).
I have been watching 'On the trail on the Giant Squid' on Discovery Channel. While I enjoyed it immensely, I was wondering when the documentary was made and also, about the progress or improvements (in terms of the techniques of collection, transportation and keeping baby Architeuthis alive) made since then.
I paid particular attention to the way the baby Architeuthis was handled after the tow. This includes sorting, screening and identifying the baby Giant Squid (in presumably small glass jars), subsequent observation and filming (in the plexiglas container) and eventually, the transfer of the baby Architeuthis into the specially designed circular temporary holding tank. I have also noted the behaviour of the baby Architeuthis in the plexiglas container.
Regretably, based on my experience in collecting, handling, transportation and keeping delicate marine animals alive, I have predicted the death of most, if not all, of the baby Architeuthis on arrival at port before I saw what happened at the end of the documentary.
I wish you have better luck since then and I would really like to talk to you more about the handling and care of the baby Architeuthis. "
By the way, I am also quite interested in the sort-of dwarf 'Aureoteuthis'? (not sure about the spelling) squid that you collected in one of those trips. I imagine they will be a lot easier to keep alive than baby Architeuthis. Did you managed to keep them alive in the end and if yes, for how long?
Ta