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Rare colossal squid could land on the record table

A fishing crew catching Patagonian toothfish gets a big surprise on the line.

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published February 23, 2007

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - A fishing crew has caught a colossal squid that could weigh a half-ton and prove to be the biggest specimen ever landed, a fisheries official said Thursday.

The squid, weighing an estimated 990 pounds and about 39 feet long, took two hours to land in Antarctic waters, New Zealand Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton said.

The fishermen were catching Patagonian toothfish, sold under the name Chilean sea bass, south of New Zealand "and the squid was eating a hooked toothfish when it was hauled from the deep," Anderton said.

The fishing crew and a fisheries official on board estimated the length and weight of the squid. Detailed, official measurements have not been made. The date when the colossus was caught also was not disclosed.

Colossal squid, known by the scientific name Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, are estimated to grow up to 46 feet long and have long been one of the most mysterious creatures of the deep ocean.

If estimates are correct, the squid would be 330 pounds heavier than the next biggest specimen ever found.

"I can assure you that this is going to draw phenomenal interest. It is truly amazing," said Dr. Steve O'Shea, a squid expert at the Auckland University of Technology. If calamari rings were made from the squid they would be the size of tractor tires, he added.

Colossal squid can descend to 6,500 feet and are extremely active, aggressive hunters, he said.

The frozen squid will be transported to New Zealand's national museum, Te Papa, in the capital, Wellington, to be preserved for scientific study.

Marine scientists "will be very interested in this amazing creature as it adds immeasurably to our understanding of the marine environment," Anderton said.

Colossal squid were first identified in 1925 when two tentacles were found in the stomach of a sperm whale. There have been only scattered sightings since, including one caught in 2003 in Antarctic waters, where they live. Colossal is larger than the giant squid found near New Zealand. Giant squid can reach 39 feet in length, although there are popular reports of 60-foot squid. Adult specimens of colossal squid are rare, but it's estimated they reach 43 to 46 feet. The heavier colossal has a wider mantle, larger beak and unique swiveling hooks at the ends of its tentacles.

Information from National Geographic News and the Discovery Channel was used in this report.

A squid as big as a bus

The unofficial measurement of the squid caught recently in Antarctic waters would make it almost as long as a school bus. It is believed the creatures get even bigger, but this would be the largest one ever caught.

[Last modified February 23, 2007, 01:22:15]