People think, that all squids are small , but what few of them know is that there is also a big species of squids, which amazes anyone. .
The colossal squid or Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni in scientific terms, is the biggest squid of all.
The new that was explosive several years ago, was that in the waters of the Southern Ocean some fishermen saw for the first time in all history, the largest squid in the world found and after being surprised, they fastened it with ropes.
We are talking about an extremely large squid, of 440 kilograms of weight
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Characteristics Of The Colossal Squid
The colossal squids measures approximately 13 and 15 meters, and its weight can reach up 750 kilograms, we have to keep in mind that the size is requested until the end of its tentacles, that is, it can measure a little more , since they make it look much longer.
A very important fact is that the females are usually much larger than the males, since they can measure up to 14 meters long
His body is a bit large and beefy, he has a large beak, and scientists say they have the biggest eyes of the animal world.
Their eyes are quite big, which measure ranges between 30 cm and 40 cm, in contrast with their small eyes.
They usually inhabit northern Antarctica and South America, they have also been observed in southern Africa and New Zealand.
Alimentation Habits of The Colossal Squid
When there is really little information about this animal, it is necessary to know, that it feeds on chaetognatha large fish such as Patagonian toohtfish, and other bioluminescent fish. The colossal squid is characterized by having a slow metabolism, so it also needs roughly 35 grams of food daily.
The adult squids, can submerge to the bottom of the sea, with an approximate depth of 2200 meters, while the smallest ones can only go down one kilometer.
Reproduction of the Colossal Squid
These specimen are not very usual seen at sea, that is why, the necessary searches have not been carried out, in order to clarify all the doubts, that surely, many of us have about this strange, but striking animal.
However, because of the absence of hectocotylus, which is employed by others cephalopods for reproductive purposes, it is thought that they have a penis, to transfer sperm to the females
Curious Facts about the Colossal Squid
The colossal squids has 3 hearts, something that is not very usual in marine species, but apparently, the more we read, this big squid will never stop surprising us. Two of their hearts work to bring enough oxygen to their respiratory organs, and the third heart has the function of transporting fully oxygenated blood throughout their body.
This means that everything has a reason and why; so the reason why they have this abnormality, is because of the above, and although it seems strange to us, for them it is essential.
The biggest colossal squid ever captured, measured 4.5 mts, and this occurred in New Zealand, in 2007.
In spite of the few information about this stunning creature; we hope that data provided by this article, can be as useful as you need. It is amazing what nature constantly provide us .
Finally enjoy this video about this creature….