Signposts - a blog about Te Ara the Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Collosal squid

In the last week of April 2008, the scalpels are being sharpened at Te Papa. A team of scientists are about to examine the largest complete adult colossal squid ever caught. The sea monster, weighing in at an estimated 495 kilograms, was taken by a fishing vessel in the Ross Sea in February 2007. This was bad timing for Te Papa, as the museum’s wet area for housing such critters was being renovated at that time. So they put the beastie on ice. Over a year later, with renovations complete, they’re ready to begin thawing it out.

Colossal squid have not been found around New Zealand, but specimens have been caught in subantarctic waters. Very little is known about colossal squid, although their hooked tentacles suggest they are aggressive predators. Giant squid, which are slightly smaller, are found in New Zealand coastal waters as they come to breed in deep-sea canyons just off the coast. Giant and colossal squid are probably responsible for some historic sailors’ stories of sea monsters. The much smaller arrow squid is common around the coast and forms the basis of a profitable squid fishery.

The Ross Sea colossal squid is not destined to be turned into squid rings that you could walk through. Rather, scientists will defrost it and examine its stomach to see what it was eating. The stomach, beak and other mouth parts will be removed and its sex determined. You can watch this (and the preparation and examination of several smaller squid specimens) live here. (If nothing much is happening on the webcam then the squid blog should keep you updated.)

Later this year, the world’s largest found colossal squid will go on display in a specially built tank at the museum, where it will be suspended in a preservative solution – then the public can drool over the size of the squid rings such a beast would yield.