Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni
Colossal Squid [+]

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Teuthida
Family: Cranchiidae
Genus: Mesonychoteuthis
species: Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni
+ITIS +WoRMS +Conservation Status

Description & Behavior

The colossal squid, Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni (Robson, 1925), aka Antarctic cranch squid, is one of the largest and most elusive and mysterious of the cephalopods. This massive squid is reported to measure up to 14 m in total length with a mantle length of about 2-4 m (which would make adult colossal squids quite a bit larger than the giant squid, Architeuthis dux) and they can weigh an estimated 150 kg.

Giant squid and Collosal squid comparison This amazing creature was first identified in 1925 when 2 colossal squid arms were recovered from a sperm whale's stomach. Since then, few specimens have been recovered, so little is known about this species. The colossal squid has eyes that measure about 25 cm in diameter and are thought to be the largest eyes in the entire animal kingdom. They also have the largest beaks of any squid, which makes them a fearsome predator along with the 25 rotating hooks found in two rows on the ends of their tentacles.

World Range & Habitat

The colossal squid, Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, is a deep-water species, living usually deeper than 1,000 m which makes it difficult for scientists to gather data on it (though juveniles have been found above 1,000 m to the surface). So far they have had to depend mostly on juvenile specimens caught by deep sea trawlers. The colossal squid has been found in waters surrounding the Antarctic, primarily south of 40°S.

» GBIF occurrence data in Google Earth [Requirements | Tips] | Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) [World Map] | [about]

Feeding Behavior (Ecology)

The colossal squid, Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, has been known to prey on large fish species, including Patagonian toothfish caught on longlines set by the fishermen. The sperm whale is a known predator of colossal squid in the Southern Ocean.

Life History

Reproduction is thought to be similar to a related species, Teuthowenia pellucida, but it is actually unknown for Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni as no mature males or females have yet been collected or observed. See the Giant Squid and Colossal Squid Fact Sheet at TONMO.com for more information.

Comments

Not enough is known on colossal squid populations to determine its conservation status. Because of its remote habitat, this species is not considered dangerous to humans.

References & Further Research

BioOne ~ CITES ~ Discover Life ~ GBIF ~ Google Scholar ~ ITIS ~ IUCN RedList ~ MarineBio Network ~ NCBI ~ SCIRIS ~ SIRIS ~ Tree of Life Web Project ~ Wikipedia

Super squid surfaces in Antarctic
Cephalopod News: Special Report: Colossal Squid Caught!
Wood J.B., Day C.L., del Pino D. Forsythe J.W., DiMarco P. Lee P.G. and ODor R.K. CephBase.
Norman, M., Debelius, H. 2000. Cephalopods - A World Guide, Conchbooks, Germany. 319 p.
Cephalopods of the World, Volume 1. Chambered Nautiluses and Sepioids (Nautilidae, Sepiidae, Sepiolidae, Sepiadariidae, Idiosepiidae and Spirulidae), FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes No. 4, Vol. 1
TONMO.com - The Octopus News Magazine Online
Largest Colossal Squid ever caught! [Plankton Forums]

Search the Web for Colossal Squid » ARKive ~ Ask.com ~ Ask Jeeves ~ bing ~ deviantART ~ dmoz ~ Dogpile ~ Google Images ~ MySpace Images ~ OceanFootage ~ Picsearch ~ StumbleUpon ~ Yahoo! Images ~ YouTube

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Citation: Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, Colossal Squid - MarineBio.org. Retrieved , from .

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Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni Colossal Squid [+]