Colossal squid
species of mollusc From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The colossal squid, Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, is the biggest squid in the world, 9–10 metres (30–33 feet) long.[1]
The colossal squid is bigger than a giant squid. Its body is reddish brown and it lives up to 2000m below the surface of the Southern Ocean. It is the main food eaten by sperm whales. The colossal squid has ammonium chloride in its body, so it tastes bad for humans.
It is believed to feed on prey such as chaetognatha, large fish like the Patagonian toothfish and other squid in the deep ocean using bioluminescence.
The colossal squid is thought to have a slow metabolic rate, requiring only around 30 g of prey daily.[2] Estimates of its energetic demands suggest that it is a slow-moving ambush predator, using its large eyes primarily for prey detection rather than active hunting.[2][3]
The eye is 27 cm (10.63 in) wide, with a lens 12 cm across. This is the largest eye of any known animal.[4] These measurements are of the partly collapsed specimen: when living the eye was probably 30 to 40 cm (12 to 16 in) across.[4]
The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is displaying this specimen in an exhibition which opened in 2008.[5] A website[6] on the squid specimen is also available.
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References
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