Capture of the giant squid : Pharyngula

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PZ Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
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Capture of the giant squid

Category: Cephalopods • Organisms
Posted on: December 30, 2006 5:19 PM, by PZ Myers

I don't think I showed this video in the flurry of Architeuthis posts a while back, but if so, it's worth seeing again.

It is rather sad how limp and exhausted the poor animal looks as they drag it in.

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Comments

Posted by: Andrew | December 30, 2006 5:34 PM

These are generally fairly deep dwellers are they not? I imagine the change in pressure and oxygen levels would have an effect if that was the case, although it may well have been exhausted from the original battle...

Posted by: Evolving Squid | December 30, 2006 6:44 PM

I'm waiting for the video of some guys taunting a squid, like in that video, and getting hauled into the water by it. Who'd be laughing then, monkey boy! Muhahah! They'll mount your sucker-marked head at the Architeuthis museum!

Sorry, lost control of my cephalopodic tyranny.

Posted by: Stanton | December 30, 2006 6:53 PM

For some reason, I've always imagined them to be bigger.

Posted by: Joshua | December 30, 2006 8:11 PM

Poor guy! It's awesome to have more video of a live giant squid... but unfortunate that he didn't stay live for very long afterward. =(

Posted by: Evolving Squid | December 30, 2006 9:14 PM

Stanton:

As I recall from an English write-up regarding that video, the squid depicted is immature and not fully grown.

Posted by: Ahmemset | December 31, 2006 1:46 AM

What on Earth could possess these people to try and capture the poor creature? We already have preserved dead specimens to study, we don't need another corpse(!). Frankly I'm surprised that there isn't more outrage at the lack of effort to study the creature vivo by this team. I find the whole exercise to be a bit unjustified scientifically.

Posted by: David Godfrey | December 31, 2006 5:55 AM

Many of the specimens we have are either corpses washed up on the beach at various stages of decomposition, or have been extracted from whale stomachs. I think there is a need for a few intact specimens.

However I have a feeling that the Japanese might go in for scientific squid hunting in the same way as they go in for "scientific" whaling. I think the next stage in the project should be radio tagging (if that's practical).

Posted by: Umilik | December 31, 2006 10:28 AM

Man, can you spell C-A-L-A-M-A-R-E. Nicely breaded, just lightly sauteed, a little hot sauce on the side...
And knowing the Japanese that "scientific" specimen had to have ended up on someone's dinner plate.

Posted by: Peter McGrath | December 31, 2006 1:36 PM

Where's a kraken when you need one?

#10

Posted by: Cathy in Seattle | December 31, 2006 3:13 PM

Where's a kraken when you need one?
Posted by: Peter McGrath | December 31, 2006 01:36 PM

Well said, Mr. McGrath!

#11

Posted by: Heather | December 31, 2006 5:30 PM

Poor thing. I also thought it was destined for sushi.

#12

Posted by: Hai~Ren | January 1, 2007 9:32 AM

I highly doubt Architeuthis would make good eating, what with its high ammonia content.