Colossal Squid

Colossal squid have always been known to live in the deepest aspects of the ocean, mostly in the southern oceans that surround Antarctica.

There have been evidence aplenty of their existence from the stomaches of other creatures such as from sperm whales. Sperm whales contain further evidence of their meetings with the giant squid by the scars some have on their backs which tell of battles between the titans of the ocean.’

Colossal Squid

Colossal squid have enormous hooks on the ends of their tentacles that swivel. Both Giant and Colossal squid would make a formidable adversary even for the sperm whale, the master of the ocean. Colossal Squid it seems are a good source of food for the sperm whales of the area around the Anarctic, who feed in the southern ocean.

They eat about 75 percent colossal squid, which is in and of itself the largest inverterate in the world. They also boast the largest eye of any animal alive, on land or sea, larger even than the great blue whale.

An excellent page for colossal squid information exists including very close up photos of the horrid and lethal hooks the colossal squid wields in his battles. “Just as recently as earlier this year, in February, 2007 a live colossal squid was brought to the surface in Antarctic waters by a New Zealand fishing boat.

This time video was taken and the squid was captured for scientific study. This enormous squid, which was determined to be a male of the species, was 10 meters (32.8 feet), and weighed 450 kilograms (992 pounds). making it the largest squid (the largest invertebrate) ever captured.

What was even more astonishing is that, from what scientists know about squid species in general, there is great sexual dimorphism in squids, with females being significantly larger than the males. If that holds true for the Colossal squid, this male specimen that was captured could very well be dwarfed by a much larger female of the species” The video of this capture.