Toyama Bay got a visit from a mythological being, all dressed in red, on Christmas day. It was beautiful.
It seems to be Architeuthis dux, and is about 4 meters long. It just cruised in, ambled about, and the authorities plan to just let it swim away. If it can -- giant squid on the surface tend to be sick and unhappy. But still…! I'm waiting for the day one swims up the Pomme de Terre river to bring me presents.
There's more discussion about this squid (in English!) on TONMO.
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Just Science Entry #1
Kim didn't miss much. She went into Final Jeopardy with $15,000 and won the match by a scant $1 by correctly identifying the world's largest invertebrate (answer: "What is a giant squid?").
But was she right?
There seems to be considerable debate about this.
Steve O'Shea (…
(This post first appeared on December 23, 2009, but has been reproduced, edited, and improved for 2011.)
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It is the Cephalopodmas Season, when tentacles and the deep sea are on everyone's mind, and that concentrated contemplation of all matters squidly must occasionally erupt into artful self-expression. Below the fold you will find a few beautiful images that have leapt into my mailbox lately.
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