Colossal squid a formidable customer

By PAULA OLIVER

It has eyes as big as dinner plates, swivelling, razor-sharp hooks and a taste for anything that swims by.

A colossal squid, a creature previously thought to lurk only deep in the world's coldest oceans, has been caught on the surface of the Ross Sea by a group of fishermen.

The exact point where the sea monster was found is being kept secret, but it appears that the fishermen were pulling in their catch when they noticed that something large was attacking the fish.

"They knew they were on to something pretty special," said Dr Steve O'Shea, a senior research fellow at Auckland University of Technology. "I've seen 105 giant squid, but I've never seen anything like this before."

Word of the find travelled fast and yesterday Dr O'Shea was poring over the rare specimen at the Te Papa research lab in central Wellington.

Only six specimens of the so-called colossal squid have been found - five of them inside the stomachs of sperm whales.

Never before has such a large, intact specimen been pulled up. "It's a true monster of the deep. This thing leaves the giant squid for dead. It would kill you if you fell in," said Dr O'Shea.

The specimen's mantle, or cylindrical body, measures 2.5m. With its arms and tentacles stretched out its length is between 5m and 6m.

Colossal squid, or Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, is an extremely aggressive squid that chases large prey such as Patagonian toothfish. It has razor-sharp hooks on the inside of its tentacles that can swivel, so when it catches something it twists and shreds it to pieces.

It also uses two large, sharp beaks to eat, and has fins to push it quickly through the ocean.

Sperm whales eat the species, but a whale washed up on the Mahia Peninsula recently showed evidence of gouges and cuts from a battle with a squid.

Scientists have known for some time that the species existed in the deep, cold ocean south of New Zealand, but they are surprised that this one was found on the surface.

Dr O'Shea said the formidable squid has the largest eyes in the animal kingdom.

The specimen is an immature female and although it is difficult to predict how large it could get, Dr O'Shea said he would expect it to reach one-and-a-half times its present size.

"I'm not exaggerating. This is a killer squid. From a science point of view, this is absolutely priceless."

The specimen will be preserved whole and could eventually be put on display, possibly at Te Papa.

Dr O'Shea said the find showed that the colossal squid was lurking further north than previously thought.

Killer squid

* The colossal squid caught in the Ross Sea weighed 150kg and is only the second intact specimen found.

* It is a carnivorous killer that aggressively chases its prey.

* It is larger, quicker and more formidable than a giant squid.

* The creature is known to eat large fish like the Patagonian toothfish, while it is itself eaten by sperm whales.

* It uses long tentacles lined with razor-sharp hooks to capture its prey.

* The species has the largest eyes of any animal.

Further reading: nzherald.co.nz/marine