While fishing for Patagonian toothfish in Antarctica's remote and inhospitable Ross Sea, the crew of the New Zealand Longliner San Aspiring... of Nelson have caught what looks to be the biggest squid ever landed. Captain John Bennet determined that the specimen was of such scientific value that he suspended fishing operations and ordered his crew to haul the monster into the boat.
The 9 man crew took over 2 hours to get the Colossal Squid ( Mesonychoteuthis-hamiltoni) aboard.
At 33 feet long and weighing half a ton the big red beast is likely the most massive invertebrate ever caught!
The Colossal Squid, is believed to reach maximum lengths a few meters shorter than the Giant Squid, but it is much more massive, as its body is proportionally longer and its more muscular tentacles are relatively short in comparison to the Giant Squid (Architeuthis dux)
A comparison of these two tenticular terrors by people who've gotten their oceanography degrees is here.
So, taking weight into account, New Zealand is now officially ahead of Japan in the squid wars.
1 comment:
My god, just think of the sushi you could make with that...
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