Hundreds of years ago, tales of a massive, ship-sinking beast terrified sailors sailing in the Norwegian Sea off the coast of Norway. These tales described a massive cephalopod known as the kraken, which had the power to pull ships down into the sea. Historians now believe tales of the kraken had some semblance of reality to them, and are likely exaggerated accounts by sailors of the elusive giant squid.
The giant squid, scientific name Architeuthis dux, is a species of squid that inhabits the deep ocean. While they are obviously unable to pull ships down to the deep depths of the ocean, the giant squid is still nothing to sneeze at. Known for their massive size, the giant squid is one of the biggest extant invertebrates. The largest giant squid specimen ever recorded was almost 13 meters, or 43 feet, long, and weighed nearly a ton. They are a prime example of abyssal gigantism, which is the tendency for deep-sea organisms to grow much larger than their counterparts in shallower waters. The giant squid has massive eyes the size of dinner plates and the longest tentacles of any known cephalopod. These feeding tentacles have hundreds of sharp suckers and are used to transport food to their mouths. Their arms feature suction cups lined with teeth to grab onto prey. Their food is cut up by their sharp, parrot-like beak, and is then ground up further by their tongue-like radula. They are important to deep-sea ecosystems, serving as a predator for many deep-sea fish and as a major food source for sperm whales. Sperm whales dive down hundreds of meters to hunt for giant squid, and these encounters, while typically ending in the whales’ favor, leave massive scars and sucker marks across their body.
Despite their massive size and worldwide distribution, the giant squid is incredibly elusive to humans. In the late 1800s, many giant squid became stranded on the shores of Newfoundland, but few of these specimens were preserved. The first photo was taken in 1873, when minister Moses Harvey bought a giant squid for $10 from a fisherman who had accidentally caught it. Harvey then took the squid home, draped it over a bathtub, and had it displayed in his living room. This was also the first ever complete giant squid specimen. However, the first images of a living giant squid in its natural habitat were not taken until 2004. Historically, some scientists even debated that there may be more than one species of giant squid, and proposed as many as 17 species. However, a 2013 study used genetic research to determine that there is likely just one single species.
In conclusion, the giant squid is a legendary creature that, while elusive, is incredibly important to deep-sea ecosystems. Even though we know some information about the giant squid, there is still so much we don’t know because of its elusive nature. This makes the giant squid living proof that we truly do not know everything about our oceans.
Cover Image: A giant squid specimen measuring 4 meters in length. (Credit: NASA)
