OVERVIEW
Their name says it all. Giant Squid can be up to 43 feet (this is disputed, though. There have been reports of larger ones, and beaks found inside of sperm whale stomachs suggest that they could be more than 60 feet). The Giant Squid's scientific name is Architeuthis dux, meaning "most important squid leader." The number of Giant Squid species is still under debate, as they live in the deep ocean. However, a common theory amongst scientists is that there are three species, A. dux, A. sanctipauli, and A. martensi. Architeuthis dux is the Atlantic species, while Architeuthis sanctipauli is the Southern Ocean species and Architeuthis martensi is the Pacific species. Males seem to be generally larger than females. Maximum weight is 606 lbs for males, and 330 lbs for females. Giant squid size is often exaggerated. Their tentacles are often stretched out or just fall off, making it hard to determine their actual size. Giant Squid can be found in all oceans, and this is determined by the specimens found. They seem to be rarer in the polar and tropical regions. Their eyes are one of their most prominent features, measuring 10 inches in diameter. Many people describe them the size of a human head, or a dinner plate. Giant Squid eyes also deflate when they die, because they are filled with water, and that water leaks out of the eye upon death.
Giant Squid History
Just as many other aspects in life, Giant Squid have a history with humans. Cultural depictions may be the most notable of these. For centuries, people have been talking about the Kraken. This Kraken could very well be a Giant Squid. Sailors feared this mythical squid-creature, which was said to be able to take down ships and eat the people aboard them. Sightings of Giant Squid could have led to this, just as sightings of manatees and dugongs may have led to the belief in the mythical Siren. Early representations of Giant Squid can be found in the famous book Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, as well as Moby Dick and other sea books. As for hunting of the squid, its flesh is practically useless to humans, considering its ammonia-content. This makes the meat poisonous, which we're hoping you wouldn't want to eat. The "calamari" would also taste disgusting, for the same reason. Plus, catching the squid would be hard. They live in the deep ocean and are only occasionally caught as bycatch.
ANATOMY & ATTACKS
The Giant Squid's anatomy is actually quite interesting. Let's start from the tip of the mantle to the bottom of the tentacles. The mantle is the head and body section of the squid, where all of its vital organs are contained. The mantle has two fins, our next big point. The fins help the animal steer through the water. The squid, just like many other animals, has two eyes. It also has a donut-shaped brain, and the esophagus passes through the hole. If the squid happens to swallow too much too fast, it could lump up in the esophagus and cause brain damage. The squid also don't have tongues, they have radulas instead, basically a tongue, but it has small, serrated teeth on it. It also has a beak instead of a regular mouth, and it excretes waste from its siphon. Many people will tell you that squid have 8 tentacles. This is actually incorrect. But don't blame them, it can get confusing. They actually have eight arms and two long feeding tentacles. Their suckers are serrated as well, so if you were grabbed by one, you'd be in in for some baaad time. Finally, at the end of the squid's two tentacles, it has oval-shaped cups called sucker cups or clubs. These are covered in serrated suckers, and can be used to grasp prey. So far, no proven attacks by Giant Squid have been, well, proven. The closest I can find is an attack on Scott Cassell, an experienced diver, who was attacked by a swarm of Humbolt Squid. He explained to the website The Manual: "The most dangerous being I have encountered, besides a lawyer, was a giant Humboldt squid. Its beak is as big as a man’s hand. Imagine being bitten by 100-pound parrot. I was. The bite exposed my skull to the seawater. Talk about painful. Then, when I pushed it off, it bit my wrist and broke it in 5 places. Every suction cup (1200 of them) is lined with cat-like teeth. It got hold of my throat and ripped it open. I super glued my scalp and throat wounds. The Humboldt population has exploded because of the insane over-fishing of sharks, tuna and swordfish. 90% of these fish are gone – all for shark fin soup." Humbolt Squid do have a nasty reputation. Multiple attacks have been reported. Overview of Scott's situation: His wrist was broken in five places, his throat was ripped open, his skull was exposed to seawater, his shoulder was dislocated, and one of his eardrums was burst. He filmed the video while it was happening as well. It was amazing that he made it out alive. Animal Planet shared the video on YouTube, if you're interested.
TO KILL OR BE KILLED: GIANT SQUID
If you happen to be a fish, squid - even a Giant Squid, living between the depths of 1000 and 2000 feet deep in the Twilight Zone (mesopelagic zone), you have to be on constant watch out for Giant Squid. That's because Giant Squid feed on deep-sea fish and squid way down there. Scientists have found Giant Squid beaks inside of other Giant Squid's stomachs, suggesting cannibalistic behavior. In 2016, a Giant Squid washed up on a beach in Spain. On close perusal of the body, it was concluded that it was terminally injured by another Giant Squid. This may have been cannibalism, or it could've been a fight over territory or food. The squid was seen just days before by a tourist, who took pictures of it at the surface of the water. At that time, it was still alive. It probably floated up to the surface after it retained the injuries, and it was missing one eye. Examination shows that it most likely rose slowly to the surface, because if it had risen rapidly, the other eye wouldn't have remained uninjured. And if you happen to be a Giant Squid (those eyes really do help you read), be on the lookout for the infamous Sperm Whale. Giant Squid don't have too many predators because of their, well, size. But the few that they do have really like them. Giant Squid make up a large portion of the Sperm Whale's diet. Many Giant Squid beaks have been found in the stomachs of Sperm Whales, and they are one of the Whale's preferred prey items. Squid, as a whole, are very vulnerable to the Sperm Whales. Female Whales can eat up to 700-800 squid in a day. Males, while less impressive, can still gobble up to 400 a day. Evidence shows that when Sperm Whales and Giant Squid get in a fight, the whales most often win it. However, that doesn't mean that the squid are defenseless...
Battle of the Beasts: Sperm Whale vs. Giant Squid
Just because Sperm Whales win most of the time, doesn't mean they always do. The Giant Squid has some defense methods up its - tentacles - that are sure to surprise the Whales. Hypothetical situation: A Sperm Whale and a Giant Squid come across each other in the deep of the sea. The Sperm Whale gets ready to charge, and grabs onto the squid with its large mouth. The Squid's tentacles scratch the Whale's tough skin up. People used to think that the Whales used sound waves to stun the Squid before attacking. This hasn't been proven correct, but it hasn't been proven wrong either. Still, it wouldn't explain all of the sucker marks found on Sperm Whale skin. the Sperm Whale only has teeth on its lower jaw, so instead of using those to eat, it sucks its prey in like a vacuum. This is probably why the Giant Squid uses its suckers to grasp onto the Sperm Whale's head, to avoid getting sucked in. The Giant Squid also most likely squirts ink, like other cephalopods. Sperm Whales are also much bigger, reaching up to almost 70 feet. So while the Sperm Whale takes away the award for most likely to win, the Giant Squid can come in second place.
CLASSIFICATION
Be honest. When we said "Cephalopod" in the "Battle of the Beasts" segment, did you know what on earth we were talking about? If you answered yes, well then, good job. But if you answered no, read on. There are around 800 types of cephalopods worldwide. But don't think we're living in the age of cephalopods. Fossils have shown that there used to be more than 17,000 of them. But before we get into natural history, you'll want to know what a mollusk is. Snails, nautiluses, slugs, clams, octopuses, and of course, squid, are all examples of mollusks. Squid fall into the phylum mollusca, and in that phylum, there are the cephalopods. The cephalopods are the class in which squid and octopuses are, as well as nautiluses. Mollusk means "soft-bodied," and is derived from the Latin word "mollis" which means "soft." Believe it or not, under that famed shell of theirs, the nautilus does actually have a soft body, just like the other cephalopods. What does cephalopod mean? "Head Foot," in Greek. This refers to the how cephalopod's arms attach to their heads, in a way. Cuttlefish are also cephalopods.