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| Colossal Squid | ||||||||||||||||
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 A drawing of a Colossal Squid. | ||||||||||||||||
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| Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni Robson, 1925 |
The Colossal Squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni), sometimes called the Antarctic or Giant Cranch Squid, is believed to be the largest squid species. It is the only member of the genus Mesonychoteuthis. Though it is known from only a few specimens, current estimates put its maximum size at 12–14 metres (40–46 feet) long, based on analysis of smaller and immature specimens, making it the largest known invertebrate.
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Unlike the giant squid, whose tentacles are equipped with suckers lined with small teeth, the suckers at the tips of the Colossal Squid\'s tentacles have sharp swiveling hooks. Its body is wider and stouter, and therefore heavier, than that of the giant squid. Colossal Squids are believed to have a longer mantle than giant squids, although their tentacles are shorter.
The squid exhibits deep-sea gigantism. The beak of Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni is the largest known of any squid, exceeding that of Architeuthis in size and robustness. The Colossal Squid is also believed to have the largest eyes in the animal kingdom (even larger than those of giant squid).
The squid\'s known range extends thousands of miles northward from Antarctica to southern South America, southern South Africa, and the southern tip of New Zealand, making it primarily an inhabitant of the entire circumantarctic Southern Ocean.
While little is known about the life of this creature, it is believed to hunt prey such as chaetognatha, large fish like the Patagonian toothfish and other squid in the deep ocean using bioluminescence. Based on capture depths of a few specimens, as well as beaks found in sperm whale stomachs, the adult squid ranges at least to a depth of 2200 metres, while juveniles can go as deep as 1000 metres. It is sexually dimorphic, with mature females generally being much larger than mature males, as is common in many species of invertebrates.
The squid\'s method of reproduction has not been observed, although some data on their reproduction can be inferred from anatomy. Since males lack an organ called a hectocotylus (a tentacle used in other cephalopods to transfer a spermatophore to the female), they probably use a penis instead, which would be used to directly implant sperm into females.
Many Sperm whales carry scars on their backs believed to be caused by the hooks of Colossal Squid. Colossal Squid are a major prey item for Antarctic sperm whales feeding in the Southern Ocean; 14% of the squid beaks found in the stomachs of these sperm whales are those of the Colossal Squid, which indicates that Colossal Squid make up 77% of the biomass consumed by these whales.Clarke, M.R. (1980). "Cephalopoda in the diet of sperm whales of the southern hemisphere and their bearing on sperm whale biology". Discovery Reports 37: 1-324. Many other animals also feed on this squid, including the beaked whales (such as the bottlenose whales), Pilot Whale, Southern Elephant Seal, Patagonian toothfish, Pacific sleeper shark, and albatross (e.g., the Wandering and Sooty albatrosses). However, beaks from mature adults have only been recovered from those animals large enough to take such prey (i.e., the Sperm Whale and pacific sleeper shark), while the remaining predators are limited to eating juveniles or young adults.Cherel, Y. & G. Duhamel 2004. Antarctic jaws: cephalopod prey of sharks in Kerguelen waters.PDF (531 KiB) Deep-Sea Res I 51: 17-31.
On February 22, 2007, it was announced by authorities in New Zealand that the largest known Colossal Squid had been captured. The specimen measured 10 metres (33 feet) in length and weighed 495 kilograms (1,091 lb). Fishermen on the vessel San Aspiring, owned by the Sanford seafood company, caught the animal in the freezing Antarctic waters of the Ross Sea. It was brought to the surface as it fed on an Antarctic toothfish that had been caught off a long line. It would not let go of its prey and could not be removed from the line by the fishermen, so they decided to catch it instead. They managed to envelop it in a net, hauled it aboard and froze it. The specimen eclipsed the previous largest find in 2003 by about 195 kilograms (430 lb)."NZ\'s colossal squid to be microwaved" The New Zealand HeraldNew giant squid predator found. Retrieved on 14 February, []. The 10 metre squid is still considerably shorter than some estimates have predicted. Although initially thought to be a male, due to its large size it is now thought more likely to be a female.Kim Griggs, "Colossal squid\'s headache for science", BBC News, March 15 2007. The specimen was frozen in a cubic metre of water and transported to Te Papa Tongarewa, New Zealand\'s national museum. It is to be studied and displayed in the form of a solid block of ice, net included.[citation needed]
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