KEY POINTS:
The largest complete adult colossal squid ever caught is to be thawed and examined at Te Papa this week.
Final preparations for the project have been completed and thawing of the squid, which was caught bya fishing vessel in the Ross Sea in 2003, is about to begin.
The dissection is being broadcast live on Te Papa's website and will also be filmed by Natural History New Zealand for a Discovery Channel documentary.
"Dr Steve O'Shea and Ms Kat Bolstad of Auckland University of Technology and Dr Tsunemi Kubodera of Japan's National Museum of Nature and Science have been invited by Te Papa to lead the examination of this unique and important specimen," said Dr Carol Diebel, Te Papa's Natural Environment Director.
It is hoped the process will allow researchers to gain a greater understanding of the deep sea creatures, which are rarely seen by humans.
A 10,000-litre thawing tank lined with heavy duty plastic was built especially to house the squid.
Weighing 495kg and estimated to be 6-8m long, the squid will be removed from storage in a walk-in freezer and placed in the tank, which is filled with a saline solution.
Because salty water freezes at a lower temperature than freshwater, the solution in the tank will remain at or below zero degrees while melting the freshwater block of ice surrounding the squid.
Thawing the squid in this way may take three to four days, but it will help keep it in good condition for dissection and preservation.
Once defrosted, the scientists will examine the squid's general anatomical features, take measurements, remove the stomach (and its contents), beak and other mouthparts; and determine its sex.
The specimen will be preserved once the examination is complete and put on display in a purpose built tank at the museum later this year.
Colossal squid are found in Antarctic waters and are not related to giant squid (Architeuthis species) found around the coast of New Zealand.
A key difference is the sharp swivelling hooks the colossal squid has in the suckers at the tips of its tentacles, suggesting it is an aggressive hunter.
- NZ HERALD STAFF
