Would this be Architeuthis?

[OB]

I recently came accross this intriguing image by Pablo Aspas, I could not find the original source publication, but it shows a pilot whale breaching, following a deep dive for food. The tentacle it's still trying to swallow reminds me an awful lot of A. dux.

If I am not mistaken, A. dux beaks have been found in pilot whale stomachs, alas not of the beached variety as the depressing ulcerous results from down under can attest.

 

[tonmo]

Great shot, thanks for sharing OB! It's a big guy no matter what.

 

[neurobadger]

Owing from the size of the tentacle club, it could be an Architeuthis, but more likely just another Really Huge Squid. Taningia danae?

I can't tell which species of pilot whale that is, but pilot whales are cosmopolitan and are capable of diving to 600 meters, though they don't dive deeper than 60 meters most of the time.

 

[neurobadger]

You know what would be super-useful?

If we could cajole the Navy into building a research sub.

 

[OB]

Taningia has many aspects, but tentacle clubs aren't amongst them

 

[neurobadger]

Taningia has many aspects, but tentacle clubs aren't amongst them

Oh crud, you're right. I just remembered it's an octopoteuthid.

 

[Tintenfisch]

Could also be a large ommastrephid, depending on location. Todarodes gets biggish and has rather large clubs for its size (although short tentacles overall), and of course there's Dosidicus.