KEY POINTS:
New Zealand's biggest aquatic celebrity, a colossal squid, is heavier than initially thought.
Squid expert Dr Steve O'Shea said the squid, which was originally thought to have weighed 450kg, weighed in at 495kg.
Caught by New Zealand fishermen on a longline in Antarctic waters in February, the squid is 195kg heavier than the previous largest example of the species caught - a 300kg immature female.
The specimen has an estimated length of 10m and was formally handed over to Te Papa after being trucked from Timaru.
Nine crew from the fishing vessel which caught the monster took two hours to carefully wrap the squid in the ship's cargo net and lift it on board with a crane.
The squid was taken below deck and put on ice, taking up two-thirds of a 1200-litre container.
The museum's molluscs collections manager, Bruce Marshall, said that once thawed, the creature would be embalmed, using a long-term preservative such as formalin.
"It will require the biggest tank of anything we've got," he told the BBC.
Dr O'Shea, who will be studying the creature, said the specimen was priceless to scientists, and would be valued at many millions of dollars if insured.
Scientists were keen to ascertain the creature's gender - it is thought that females are likely to grow a third bigger than males.
"It's extremely unlikely to be a male," said Mr Marshall. "If it is a male, the mind boggles at how big the female would be."
Dr O'Shea said consideration was still being given to how to thaw the squid evenly, so that the outer part did not decay while the centre was still frozen.
One suggestion had been a giant microwave as used by the timber industry.
- NZPA
