What does a squid look like. Giant squid. Giant Squid Facts

There is the so-called architeutis - a genus of huge oceanic squid, whose length reaches 18 meters in length. Maximum length the mantle is 2 m, and the tentacles are up to 5 m. The largest specimen was found in 1887 on the coast of New Zealand - its length was 17.4 meters. Unfortunately, nothing is said about weight.

Giant squid can be found in subtropical and temperate zones Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans. They live in the water column, and they can be found both a few meters from the surface and at a depth of one kilometer.

No one is able to attack this animal, except for one, namely, the sperm whale. At one time it was believed that a terrible battle was being played out between these two, the outcome of which remains unknown until the last. But, as recent studies have shown, architeutis loses in 99% of cases, since the power is always on the side of the sperm whale.

If we talk about squid caught in our time, then we can talk about a specimen that was caught by fishermen in the Antarctic region in 2007 (see the first photo). Scientists wanted to examine it, but could not - at that time there was no suitable equipment, so they decided to freeze the giant until better times. As for the dimensions, they are as follows: body length - 9 meters, and weight - 495 kilograms. This is the so-called colossal squid or mesonychoteuthys.

And this is possible, a photo of the largest squid in the world:

Even ancient sailors told terrible stories in sailor taverns about the attack of monsters that emerged from the abyss and drowned entire ships, entangling them with their tentacles. They were called krakens. They have become legends. Their existence was treated rather skeptically. But even Aristotle described a meeting with the "big teutys" from which travelers who plied the waters suffered. mediterranean sea. Where does reality end and truth begin?

Homer was the first to describe the kraken in his legends. Scylla, about which Odysseus met in his wanderings, is nothing more than a giant kraken. Gorgon Medusa borrowed tentacles from the monster, which eventually transformed into snakes. And, of course, the Hydra defeated by Hercules is a distant "relative" of this mysterious creature. On the frescoes of Greek temples, you can find images of creatures that wrap their tentacles around entire ships.

Soon the myth took shape. People met a mythical monster. This happened in the west of Ireland, when in 1673 a storm threw a creature the size of a horse, with eyes like dishes and many shoots, onto the seashore. It had a huge beak, like an eagle's. The remains of the kraken have long been an exhibit that was shown to everyone for a lot of money in Dublin.

Carl Linnaeus, in his famous classification, assigned them to the order of mollusks, calling them Sepia microcosmos. Subsequently, zoologists systematized all known information and were able to give a description of this species. In 1802, Denis de Montfort published the book "The General and Private Natural History of Mollusks", which later inspired many adventurers to capture the mysterious deep animal.

The year was 1861, and the steamer Dleckton was making a routine voyage across the Atlantic. Suddenly, a giant squid appeared on the horizon. The captain decided to harpoon him. And they were even able to drive a few sharp spikes into the solid body of the kraken. But three hours of struggle were in vain. The mollusk went to the bottom, almost dragging the ship with it. At the ends of the harpoons there were pieces of meat, with a total weight of 20 kilograms. The ship's artist managed to sketch the struggle between man and animal, and this drawing is still kept in French Academy Sciences.

The second attempt to take the kraken alive was made ten years later, when he landed in fishing nets near Newfoundland. People fought for ten hours with a stubborn and freedom-loving animal. They were able to pull him ashore. The ten-meter carcass was examined by the famous naturalist Harvey, who preserved the kraken in salt water and the exhibit delighted visitors to the London History Museum for many years.

Ten years later, on the other side of the earth, in New Zealand, fishermen were able to catch a twenty-meter mollusk, weighing 200 kilograms. The most recent find was a kraken found in the Falkland Islands. It was "only" 8 meters long and is still kept at the Darwin Center in the UK capital.

What is he like? This animal has a cylindrical head, several meters in length. Its body changes color from dark green to crimson red (depending on the mood of the animal). Most big eyes in the animal world of krakens. They can be up to 25 centimeters in diameter. In the center of the "head" is the beak. This is a chitinous formation with which the animal grinds fish and other food. With it, he is able to bite a steel cable 8 centimeters thick. A curious structure has a kraken tongue. It is covered with small denticles that have different shape, allow you to grind food and push it into the esophagus.

Not always the meeting with the kraken ends with the victory of people. Like this incredible story surfs the internet: in March 2011, a squid attacked fishermen in the Sea of ​​Cortez. Before the eyes of people resting at the Loreto resort, a huge octopus drowned a 12-meter ship. The fishing boat went parallel coastline when suddenly several dozen thick, how many tentacles emerged from the water to him. They wrapped themselves around the sailors and threw them overboard. Then the monster began to rock the ship until it capsized.

According to an eyewitness: “I saw four or five bodies that the surf threw ashore. Their bodies were almost completely covered with blue spots - from suckers sea ​​monsters. One was still alive. But he didn't look much like a man. The squid literally chewed it up!”

This is Photoshop. The original photo is in the comments.

According to zoologists, it was a carnivorous Humboldt squid that lives in these waters. And he was not alone. The flock attacked the ship deliberately, acted in a coordinated manner and consisted mainly of females. The fish in these waters are getting smaller and the krakens have to look for food. The fact that they got to people is an alarming sign.

Below, in the cold and dark depths of the Pacific Ocean, lives a very intelligent and cautious creature. This truly unearthly creature is legendary all over the world. But this monster is real.

This is a giant squid or Humboldt squid. It received its name in honor of the Humboldt current, where it was first discovered. It's a cold current washing the shores South America, but this creature's habitat is much larger. It extends from Chile north to Central California across the Pacific Ocean. Giant squid patrol the depths of the ocean, spending most of their lives at depths of up to 700 meters. Therefore, very little is known about their behavior.

They can reach the height of an adult. Their size can exceed 2 meters. Without any warning, they emerge from the darkness in groups and feed on fish on the surface. Like their relative the octopus, giant squids can change their color by inscribing and closing pigment-filled sacs in their skin called chromatophores. By quickly closing these chromatophores, they become white. Perhaps this is necessary to divert the attention of other predators, or maybe this is a form of communication. And if something alarmed them or they behave aggressively, then their color turns red.

Fishermen who cast their lines and try to catch these giants off the coast of Central America call them the red devil. The same fishermen talk about how squid pulled people overboard and ate them. The squid's behavior does nothing to lessen these fears. Lightning-fast tentacles armed with spiky suckers hook the victim's flesh and drag him to the waiting mouth. There, the sharp beak breaks and shreds food. Red Devil: Giant squids seem to eat anything they can catch, even their own kind. As a desperate defense measure, the weaker squid shoots an ink cloud from a pouch near its head. This dark pigment is designed to hide and confuse enemies.

Few had the ability or the courage to approach a giant squid in the water. But one director making a movie about wild animals went down into the dark to make this one. unique material. Squid quickly surrounds him, at first he shows curiosity, and then aggression. The tentacles grabbed his mask and regulator, and this is fraught with cessation of air. He will be able to restrain the squid and return to the surface if he also shows aggression and behaves like a predator. This short meeting gave some idea of ​​mind, strength and

But the real giants are the krakens that live in the Bermuda region. They can reach a length of up to 20 meters, and monsters 50 meters long hide at the very bottom. Their target is sperm whales and whales.

Here is how the Englishman Woollen described one such fight: “At first it looked like an eruption of an underwater volcano. Looking through the binoculars, I was convinced that neither the volcano nor the earthquake had anything to do with what was happening in the ocean. But the forces at work there were so formidable that I may be excused for my first guess: a very large sperm whale engaged in mortal combat with a giant squid almost as big as itself. It seemed that the endless tentacles of the mollusk entangled the entire body of the enemy with a continuous net. Even next to the sinister black head of a sperm whale, the head of a squid seemed such a terrible object that one does not always dream of even in a nightmare. Huge and bulging eyes against the deathly pale background of the squid's body made it look like a monstrous ghost.

Hollywood films have repeatedly frightened the audience with a giant squid - a huge creature that lives in the depths of the ocean. Surprisingly, such a creature really exists, like many other large representatives of this species. Below we will figure out which is the largest squid in the world.

This genus of huge oceanic animals reaches a length of eighteen meters. At the same time, the length of the mantle is up to two meters, and the tentacles are up to five. It was found that specimens of this species can be found in temperate and subtropical zones all oceans. They can swim both very close to the surface and in the water column at a depth of about a kilometer. Due to its size, the only enemy that can harm the squid is the sperm whale. It is believed that between them constantly there is a war not to life, but to death, the outcome of which cannot be predicted. Although, probably, the sperm whale is still stronger. the largest representative 17 meters long was discovered in 1887 near New Zealand.

Even in ancient times, travelers peeping into port taverns told chilling stories about sea ​​monsters, unexpectedly emerging from the depths and capable of sinking entire ships, entangling them with their long powerful tentacles. They were nicknamed krakens and over time, whole legends were formed about them. True, most people were very skeptical about such stories. Of course, after all, it was not immediately possible to determine where the lie ends and the truth begins.

Aristotle claimed to have seen a huge squid with his own eyes

The famous ancient Greek poet Homer was one of the first to describe the monster in his works. Presumably, Scylla, whom Odysseus met during the journey, is the giant kraken. Gorgon Medusa received tentacles from a strange creature, however, later they turned into snakes. And one cannot fail to mention the monster named Hydro, defeated by Hercules. Entering the Greek temples, you can see many frescoes depicting huge creatures, which entangle ships with tentacles.

Only in 1673 did the myth gain real grounds. In the west of Ireland, a creature the size of a large horse, with many appendages and eyes resembling plates, washed up on the shore. In addition, he had an impressive beak, shaped like an eagle. The monster became an exhibit in Dublin, which the curious went to look at for a long time. Carl Linnaeus, drawing up his famous classification of species, ranked these creatures as a group of mollusks. After some time, scientists managed to properly systematize all the knowledge gained about squids.

In 1802, a book dedicated to giant squids was published.

In 1861 another incident took place. The steamer "Dlekton", sailing on Atlantic Ocean, met with a giant squid. The captain and the crew managed to pierce several harpoons into his body, but to no avail: the mollusk hid at the bottom, and it’s good that it didn’t drag the ship along with it. Pieces of meat remained on the harpoons, each weighing 20 kilograms. A drawing depicting a battle between a man and a squid is still kept at the Academy of Sciences in France.

What does this animal look like? The squid has an elongated cylindrical head and is several meters tall. His skin can change hue, from green to burgundy, depending on his mood. Krakens have the largest eyes among the entire animal kingdom, reaching 25 centimeters in diameter. In the middle of the head is the so-called beak, consisting of chitin, which helps the animal to grind food. The squid's tongue is also very unusual: it is covered with teeth of various shapes, crushing food and pushing it down the throat.

The beak of a huge squid is very powerful and in some cases can bite through a steel cable.

On the Internet, there are many stories about the monster and its photographs, including fake ones. Most often, stories are associated with a squid attack on people. For example, in 2011, the story of how a kraken attacked a 12-meter fishing boat and drowned it in front of hundreds of eyewitnesses caused a wide resonance. It really took place. All but one fisherman died - and the last one was severely crippled by the giant's powerful suction cups.

In 2007, the world's largest squid was caught near Antarctica for last years. Of course, scientists really wanted to fully examine it, but at that time they did not have suitable equipment, so they decided to freeze the animal until better times. The parameters of the giant are as follows: 9 meters in length, about half a ton of weight. The animal was dubbed the mesonychoeuthys, the colossal squid, or the Antarctic giant squid. Its description was first given famous zoologist Robson. Since then, information about him has not been updated for a long time, so many have forgotten about him altogether. However, in 1970, the larvae of the monster were discovered, and nine years later, another adult was found, reaching a length of a meter.

In 2004, Japanese scientists for the first time managed to film the mesonychoeuthys at great depths.

The colossal squid has a long body of an unusual torpedo shape. The length of the mantle can reach 3 meters, and together with the tentacles - 10. The largest representatives weigh about 500 kilograms. However, there are undocumented data about larger individuals.

The mantle itself is quite soft and wide, ending in a sharp tail with powerful fins. When unfolded, they are shaped like a heart. The animal has amazing eyes, consisting of a pair of photophores, and truly huge - an average of twenty centimeters in diameter. Squid tentacles have large round suckers arranged in two rows, as well as suckers and hooks. He also has the so-called "trapping hands". They are massive at the base and thin at the ends. But the main weapon of the mollusk is a hard chitinous beak.

About suckers on tentacles it is worth telling in more detail. Their diameter varies in the range of 2-6 cm, around each sucker there is a chitinous ring with sharp teeth. With their help, the squid can easily grab and hold prey. In this case, round scars remain on the victim's skin.

On sperm whales, scars from squid tentacles have been seen more than once, this confirms the enmity of the species.

This species of squid lives mainly in Antarctic waters, often in groups of several representatives. Toward the north, their numbers decrease. They usually hunt alone. There were also colossal squids off the coast South Africa, South America and New Zealand. The depth of their residence is usually 2-4 kilometers, a huge squid almost never rises to the surface, so it is very difficult to study their features. natural behavior. Presumable habitats of squids are determined by temperature, they prefer to swim at temperatures from -1 to 0 degrees.

Although very little is known about the life of these creatures, some features still managed to be found out. Their body contains a huge amount of a substance called ammonium chloride, which helps to reduce their specific gravity. This is why squids have the most buoyancy among molluscs. This gives them the opportunity to silently approach a potential victim, then grab it with hooked tentacles and tear it to pieces. The most common food for squids is anchovies and different types fish, however, eating their own kind, in particular small and weak representatives of the species, was also noticed among them.

Almost without moving, they are able to effectively cut through the water column and develop a decent speed.

Despite their size and physical strength, squids also have enemies. Of course, the main one is the sperm whale, this was found out by the remains of mollusks in their stomachs. Also, cubs, carelessly rising to the surface, can become victims of albatrosses or Antarctic toothfish - predatory perch-like fish. In many cases, man also poses a danger to giants: the most delicate squid meat is an ingredient in many dishes. True, given the size of the giant squid, rings from it would have turned out the size of car tires.

Stories and legends about giant squids

Each find associated with these creatures caused a huge stir both in the scientific world and among ordinary people. A few years ago, a monster was thrown onto the coast of New Zealand, the length of whose tentacles was 5 meters each. The staff of the nearest museum managed to save the carcass from hungry vultures. Scientists examined the creature and found that it was an adult female. Squids grow very quickly, but they do not live long. It was not possible to understand from what exactly the squid died, but it was clearly not hunger and not a predator attack.

The legend of the Kraken was used by the creators of the painting "Pirates caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"

But for a long time, scientists had no reason to believe that giant squid actually exist. Due to their deep-sea lifestyle, this is not surprising. And in cases where the animals were washed ashore, they were already dead and partially decomposed. The creatures have such a terrifying appearance and size that they always seemed to people some kind of mystical monsters from the other world. For example, in Jules Verne's famous novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, an attack by a huge squid on a submarine is mentioned. And the scientist R. Ellis, in one of his works, notes that the most frightening sight in the world, even more terrible than a shark, is the squid's giant saucer-like eyes emerging from the depths of the sea.

For the most part, a person is almost always afraid of the unknown. Squids practically do not show aggression towards people, however, in the legends about sea monsters, they have always appeared as the most dangerous representatives of the animal world. In ancient Norse mythology, an evil Kraken arises, so gigantic that its body, partially protruding from the water, resembles several large islands. This misled the sailors, they hurried there to get clean water and food, but then powerful tentacles burst out of the water, instantly ending the lives of the unfortunate.

Museums store long-found and carefully collected samples, but even they do not give all the answers, do not reveal all the secrets about giant squids.

There are many old illustrations of how artists of past years imagined this creature. In particular, there are many images deadly fight between a squid and a sperm whale, the former being presented as an aggressor, which is fundamentally wrong.

Huge squids are undoubtedly one of the wonders of nature, which never ceases to amaze people, creating creatures that are even hard to imagine. human mind. And those who happened to see these creatures in real life will definitely never forget it.

Is it true that there is the largest squid in the world whose photo amazes Internet users? As you know, what exists on earth is architeutis. This is a species of giant squid that lives in the ocean. Their dimensions are simply amazing, or more precisely, they reach 19 meters.

The length of the mantle of such a squid will be 2 meters in length, and the tentacles can reach as much as 5 meters. And in 1887, the largest squid was discovered, it was caught off the coast of New Zealand, the length was as much as 18 meters. Unfortunately, no weight data is available.

Giant squid can be found in the temperate and subtropical zones of the Pacific, Indian and Athletic oceans. You can see them at any depth, both on the surface and at a depth of about 1000 meters.

The inhabitants of the ocean are afraid of this giant, but the sperm whale is able to attack him. For a long time people even believed that a serious war broke out between these two giants of the ocean, but no one knows how it ended. Research by scientists who are engaged in underwater world, showed that the architeuthis in the fight against the sperm whale simply has no chance. The chance that a giant squid will win this fight is one in a hundred.

If we continue the topic of caught giant squids, then approaching our days, one more find can be noted. In 2007, fishermen in Antarctica caught a similar specimen. The study of this squid is the dream of many scientists, but, unfortunately, the equipment that existed in those years was not at all suitable for scientific work on such a scale.

Then the board of scientists decided to freeze the find until better times. Its length and mass is amazing! With a height of 9 meters and a weight of 495 kilograms - awesome dimensions! For its terrifying dimensions, it received the name - the colossal squid, or in some sources mesonychoteutis.

Legend - kraken

Such monsters from the depths of the ocean made sailors compose legends long before our time. Even in antiquity, navigators told each other monstrous stories about how huge creatures attacked and drowned ships, clasping them with their tentacles and dragging them to the very bottom.

These monsters are called krakens. Krakens are true legends. Despite the fact that their existence was treated with distrust, even Aristotle himself described such an inhabitant of the ocean in his writings. The philosopher narrated about the meeting with the "great teutis", from the deeds of which the wanderers who crossed the waters of the Mediterranean suffered.

So where does fiction end and truth begin? For the first time, the description of the kraken appears in the ancient Greek poet Homer. Odysseus in his wanderings meets Scylla, which in fact is the Kraken.

Medusa Gorgon borrowed her tentacles from the stories about the Giant Squid, which were modified in the work into snakes. And the distant relatives of the mysterious inhabitant of the ocean is the Hydra, which Hercules bravely defeated. Terrible monsters wrapping their tentacles around entire ships can also be found on the frescoes of ancient Greek temples.

But soon the myth gained real proof. And mankind saw real monster. In 1673, off the coast of western Ireland, a storm washed ashore an unseen early creature. It was the size of a mare, the eyes were the size of saucers, and surrounded by their multiple appendages. It also featured a huge beak that resembled an Eagle's beak. The remains of the monster became an exhibit in the Dublin Museum, which everyone could see with their own eyes, while paying a decent amount.

Sepia microcosmos

Sepia microcosmos - this is the name given to the giant squid by the great scientist Carl Linnaeus. By the way, he attributed it to shellfish. After him, zoologists systematized all the data and knowledge of the species of mollusks and were able to describe the entire species.

Further, in 1802, the famous book was published, which inspired many travelers of those times, "The General and Private Natural History of Mollusks", written by Denis de Montfort. Many went to the open sea to explore the depths in search of the Kraken.

The following case gave new ground for mysteries and research. In 1861, in the Atlantic, the already familiar voyage was made by the steamer Dlekton. But then the same giant squid appears on the horizon. The captain of the ship decides to catch him with a harpoon. Several of the sharpest peaks cut into the flesh of the kraken, but he managed to overcome the entire team of sailors and the captain and disappeared. At the same time, he almost dragged the whole ship with him. Due to the lively struggle and perseverance of the team, lumps of meat weighing as much as 20 kilograms remained on the harpoons. And the artist, who at that moment was on the ship, managed to sketch what he saw. The struggle of man and the monstrous inhabitant of the ocean, this drawing is still kept in the Academy of Sciences in France.

After ten years near Newfoundland, a group of people were lucky to see and try to fight the giant squid again. They fought for ten hours in a wild fight with an animal, but the monster's desire for freedom did not win. A group of people pulled him onto land. The famous scientist-naturalist Harvey investigated the giant, and was also able to conserve it with the help of salt water, after which it was placed as an exhibit in the London Museum of History.

Closer to the second half of the century, on the other side of the earth, New Zealand fishermen caught a mollusk measuring 20 meters and weighing 200 kilograms. The last giant found was a squid found near the Falkland Islands. It was not at all large compared to its predecessors - eight meters and can still be seen in the UK at the Darwin Museum.

The largest squid in the world whose photo confirms this really exists. Its head is cylindrical in shape, reaching several meters in length. The body can change color depending on the mood. The eyes of the Kraken are the largest among animals. Their size can be 25 centimeters in diameter. And he also has a beak. With which the giant threshes fish and what he eats. It has the ability to bite even an 8 cm steel torso.

Since ancient times, myths have been circulating among people about giant monsters from the abyss, thirsting for the blood and flesh of traveler sailors. The unexplored depths of the ocean, which could not be conquered then, were the object and main reason fictions, fairy tales and terrible tales concerning him mysterious inhabitants. It is worth saying that even today no one can say for sure that the planet's water space, the so-called abyss, has been studied to the end. Ancient records tell how monsters with huge tentacles from the depths of the sea attacked ships and galleys, taking them with them into the abyss. Those who managed to stay alive after the attack very often embellished their stories about unseen creatures, attributing fictional abilities to monsters and distorting them. appearance. Due to all the above factors, it was almost impossible to determine exactly who the wanderers were meeting with.

Today the situation has changed somewhat, and about some unusual inhabitants seas and oceans, much has become known to mankind. In the article, we would like to talk about the largest squid in the world, namely, to talk about their distinctive features, salient features kind and bring interesting and reliable facts about huge sea monsters.

Habitat of huge molluscs

It is known for certain that there are giant squids on earth that live in the depths of the waters of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. Also, these cephalopods can live in the seas, both warm and cold. People have repeatedly managed to catch individuals that could be called the largest squid in the world. Sometimes it even happened that the giant was cut by the propellers of the ship when he tried to attack. However, when such events first took place, mankind did not have the necessary equipment in order to study the features of the captured animal. Modern technologies allow a thorough examination of these living beings and provide full information about them.

Giant architeutis and the first mention of it

One of the most large inhabitants ocean depths is considered to be a giant squid, or architeuthis, as it is called in scientific books. Individuals of this species prefer to be in temperate and subtropical latitudes of all 4 oceans. Giant squids live at a depth of several kilometers and only occasionally swim to the surface. The first mention of architeuthis occurs at the end of the 19th century. During another sea voyage in 1887, which took place off the coast of New Zealand, sailors discovered a strange and frightening creature. It was not difficult to see him, because storm waves huge clam just thrown on land. According to the data that the expedition was able to obtain on the spot, the size of the unusual find was amazing. The length of the monster's torso reached an incredible size - 17.5 meters, and 5 of them were only tentacles. Mantle adult was also by no means small - about 2 meters. Unfortunately, it was not possible to establish the exact weight of the sea monster at that time, but, judging by the given parameters, it was quite large.

A successful attempt to explore the huge dweller of the deep

The next individual, named one of the largest squid in the world, was discovered in Antarctica 120 years after the first mention of the sea monster. In 2007, fishermen caught a deep-sea dweller whose body reached 9 meters in length. Then the weight of the find could be easily established, because fishing tankers now have everything necessary equipment for weighing the catch directly on board. The giant squid surprised the crew with its size, as its mass was just over 500 kilograms.

Terrifying Mesonichoteuthys

At present, it is known for certain that architeutis is far from the only species of inhabitants of the depths that frighten humanity with their dimensions. From time immemorial, there has been another representative of giant monsters of the species cephalopods-mesonichoteutis. This giant monster squid is considered one of the largest in our day. It can be called a close relative of the architeuthis, only it is much more majestic. Mesonichoteuthis is the only representative of its kind, because, unlike architeuthis, its weight is somewhat larger: only the mantle of adults reaches breathtaking dimensions - its length is four meters. By the way, another name for the giant is colossal.

The contents of the stomach of the sperm whale, which revealed new facts to science

The first records of mesonychoteuthys were made in the early 19th century. The British zoologist Robson examined the tentacles obtained from the stomach of a sperm whale caught in the southern islands of Scotland, and came to the conclusion that they could only belong to the aforementioned sea giant. Subsequently, for many years, no information was received regarding the cephalopod monster squid.

Great luck of scientists

A significant period of time after the study of the tentacles of a sea monster by Robson, scientists discovered 4 eggs in the far Atlantic, presumably left by mollusks. After studying their composition and origin, they came to the conclusion that the eggs really belong to a female squid. rare species mesonichoteuthys. Scientific data appeared in 1970, that is, almost 50 years after Robson's first experiment. The characteristics and features of the preserved masonry were carefully studied by experienced specialists of that time. And 9 years after research work managed to catch an adult individual of mesonychoeuthys. The dimensions of her mantle were 117 cm long, and she was the female of the largest squid in the world.

Bloodthirsty and terrible kraken: fiction or reality?

There are legends about giant squids, whose history goes back to the distant past. Ancient navigators told fables about sea monsters that attacked ships, covered them with their tentacles and carried away all living things to the seabed. These mythical creatures at that time were nicknamed krakens. Until the end of the 16th century, they were considered fictional. However, after a while, humanity was convinced of the opposite, because the kraken washed up on the coast of Western Ireland was first found, and subsequently presented as an exhibit in the Dublin Museum. By the way, the kraken is the largest squid in the world that science knows today.

Distinctive features of the kraken

From other ocean dwellers giant clam differs in the head, which has a cylindrical shape, on which something resembling a bird's beak is located. It is with them that he captures and grinds prey. The eyes of the kraken are considered the largest in comparison with the organs of vision of all other animals that live on planet Earth. Their diameter is 25 cm. The color of the creature changes depending on the location of the spirit: from dark green to blood red. The largest squid in the world and its peculiarity in the form of a spiked tongue, with which the mollusk pushes its prey into the stomach, inspires fear even in experienced sailors.

Giants attack people

It is worth noting the fact that the captain of the Norwegian fishing tanker Arne Grenningseter recently told the public amazing story, which touched a huge kraken. According to him, giants pose an incredible danger to people who have devoted their lives to fishing, or simply those who love to be in the sea. The fact is that his ship "Brunswick" was attacked several times by the aforementioned monster. The captain spoke about the tactics that the mollusk chooses to attack: he first floats to the surface of the water from the abyss, then accompanies the ship for a short time, as if waiting certain moment, and then emerges from the water with lightning speed and pounces on the ship. Only due to the fact that the tentacles of the cephalopod monster could not catch on the surface of the deck and the skin of the ship, the crew managed to escape and remain unharmed in an unequal battle.

Fixed values

If we talk about specific numbers that relate to the dimensions of huge underwater inhabitants, and answer the question about the size of the largest squid in the world (their body length), then it is worth disappointing the seekers of such information. To date, science has not established any specific values. Experts only suggest that the length of the body of cephalopods living in the waters of the World Ocean and preferring its very bottom can exceed 50 meters.

Interesting facts about giant squid

There are several interesting and real facts about the life of huge and frightening inhabitants of the depths. We list only the most interesting of them:

1. Currently, a mammal is known that can attack one of the largest squid in the world (its name is architeutis) - this is a sperm whale. In the old days and to this day, real fights took place between the opponents, in which, as a rule, the sperm whale won. It was thanks to the contents of the stomach of a mammal that science was able to establish the very fact of the existence of a deep-sea giant.
2. The first photos of an adult giant squid were taken in Japan. Overgrown clam found on the surface ocean waters and dragged to the shore. It was not possible to keep the exclusive inhabitant of the marine fauna alive. The squid died within a day after removing it from the water. Today, the remains of this creature are kept in the Japanese Museum of Nature and Science.
3. The "buoyancy" of the largest squids in the world, whose dimensions are really amazing, is carried out due to the content in their body of an aluminum chloride solution, which has a lower density than sea ​​water. Because of this property, which distinguishes it from other marine life having an air bladder, the deep-sea giant squid is unsuitable for human consumption.
4. The age of squids is determined by their beak.
5. Unlike others deep sea inhabitants, the brain and nervous system of squids are unusually developed and still remain a mystery and a subject of research for scientists and specialists in this field.
6. Despite their impressive size, giant squids can remain invisible to their prey. This is evidenced by the imprints of suckers on the bodies of whales subject to attacks by these monsters. Scientists have proven that architeutis, mesonichoteuthys and krakens lead a passive lifestyle. However, during the hunt for prey, they are active and resourceful.
7. In anticipation of danger, the colossal squid releases a protective liquid that is deadly to humans and other sea creatures.
8. About 20 liters of water will intervene in one sucker, which is located directly on the tentacles of a giant squid.

Results

In conclusion, I would like to say that it does not matter at all what the world's largest squid looks like. Stories told by sailors about giant krakens, go into the distant past. Only the facts remain - irrefutable, reliable. But here's the paradox: some of them still remain a mystery to zoologists. Today, everyone knows only that giant squids are not fiction, but a reality that is covered with a veil of mystery.

In the chapel of Saint Thomas in French port city Saint-Malo can be seen a small picture with a seemingly fantastic plot: a huge squid grabbed a sailboat with its tentacles and pulls it to the bottom. But, it turns out, this is by no means the artist's fiction, but real event, reminiscent of the amazing inhabitant of the deep sea.

THE FINDING OF THE WHAALERS

In Saint Malo, on the English Channel, young scientist Pierre Denis de Montfort did not come by chance. In the spring of 1790, the captain of the whaling ship, Ben Jonson, told him about an unusual painting in a local chapel. The experienced sailor was one of those American professionals who were invited to France to revive the whaling industry.

The acquaintance took place a year earlier, when de Montfort, who had been studying mollusks for several years, decided to ask the arriving captains about unusual finds, since very curious inhabitants of the deep sea often fell into their nets.

Johnson's story struck him. It turns out that not so long ago, a piece of squid tentacle was found in the mouth of a caught whale. Nothing surprising, if not for one thing: the length of the stump was 10 meters! The captain sketched a drawing of the find, and de Montfort was able to quite confidently name the length of the entire tentacle - about 24 meters.

Another harpooner reported that, east of the Canadian archipelago, their whaler found the carcass of a huge squid with almost 14-meter tentacles. In other words, more than one giant clam lived off the coast of Canada.

And finally, already in the chapel of St. Thomas, he was told about the episode depicted in the picture. The incident occurred off the coast of Angola, where a huge squid attacked a French sailboat. Its tentacles reached the tops of the masts - the ship was about to capsize. The sailors began to pray and, as they later said, a way out was suggested to them from above: they grabbed the axes and together cut the living ropes - the tentacles of the underwater monster. In memory of the safe return, the crew commissioned a painting from the artist. They placed it in the chapel of St. Thomas, whom local sailors consider their heavenly patron.

GOOD LUCK AT NEWFOUNDLAND

Pierre Denis de Montfort wrote about all this in his book The Natural History of Mollusks. It was published in 1802, but many did not believe in the veracity of the facts and considered them fiction. However, 50 years later, after the death of the researcher, they involuntarily remembered him ...

For a long time, the question of the existence of giant squids remained open, although meetings with them periodically occurred. So, on November 30, 1861, the French gunboat Alecton literally ran into a huge dead squid near the island of Tenerife. The ship's commander decided to pull him out on deck. Alas, strong ropes thrown with difficulty only cut the decomposing carcass ... To the great chagrin of the sailors, such remains could not serve as a sufficiently convincing biological confirmation of the presence of a huge mollusk.

The turning point was 1873. Near the Canadian island of Newfoundland, fishermen pulled out a net with a squid, which still managed to escape - it left a stump of a tentacle as a keepsake. A month later, in the same place, another giant was caught on the net, which became a living exhibit for researchers. A 10-meter squid made it possible to get a very definite idea of ​​​​this variety of mollusks. The researchers literally disassembled the outlandish inhabitant of the depths by the bones.

So, if usually these ten-armed (eight identical tentacles and two longer ones) marine animals are up to 50 centimeters long, then the giant ones reach 16 meters. And we are talking only about the caught specimens. According to some scientists, it is likely that 30-meter and even 50-meter individuals live at a depth. In any case, the famous marine biologist Frederick Aldrich fully admitted this. After all, the depths of 200-300 meters, where varieties of giant squids live, are very little studied.

JET SUBMERSIBLE

Thank God, today scientists have a very complete picture of the giant squid. They have the largest eyes on earth - up to 30 centimeters in diameter, a large and complex brain - its study is still ongoing. The tentacles are covered with hundreds of suckers, which allows you to firmly hold the prey. Buoyancy is maintained due to the presence of ammonium chloride in the tissues - this is what makes the meat of such a squid unsuitable for eating (unless it should be soaked properly).

Important distinguishing feature- a kind of jet engine: the squid draws water into its mantle, and then releases it in certain portions through a tubular organ - a siphon. It can not only start abruptly after strong compression mantle, reaching speeds of up to 70 kilometers per hour, but also jump out of the water to a height of up to 10 meters.

The monster's arsenal also has a protective curtain in case of danger: the squid releases a cloud of dark ink and, under its cover, rapidly moves away from the main and only enemy - the sperm whale. At the same time, the latter does not always come out victorious in a fight: in 2011, an 11-meter sperm whale was thrown onto one of the islands, located 200 kilometers from Kamchatka, which, as scientists have established, died from wounds inflicted by squid.

FROM TANKER TO YACHT

How dangerous are giant squids to modern shipping? According to statistics, the probability of their attack on the ship is negligible - the cases are isolated. But nevertheless it exists.

For example, in the period 1930 to 1933, the squid attacked the 150-meter Norwegian tanker Brunsvik three times. And once he almost killed everyone, wrapping his tentacles around the deck. Fortunately, there was a storm, and a powerful stream of water washed away the unexpected guest overboard, where he fell under the propellers and, being badly wounded, disappeared into the abyss.

In 2003, near the island of Madeira, during the round-the-world race for the Jules Verne Memorial Prize, an 8-meter squid almost turned over the Jerome yacht. He had already blocked her rudders, but then something distracted him, and the underwater aggressor stopped hunting.

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