Colossal Squid — printable fact sheet
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Colossal Squid
Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni
Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni is the heaviest invertebrate known, with confirmed specimens near 495 kg — far bulkier than the longer, more slender giant squid. It lives in the freezing waters around Antarctica, and almost everything known about it comes from two sources: whole anim…
Did you know?
- Despite their gigantic size, colossal squids are believed to be relatively short-lived, possibly surviving only a couple of years.
- Sperm whales are the only known regular predator, and some carry circular scars from the colossal squid's rotating hooks. Because ammonium-laden flesh tastes strongly of chemical, the meat is generally reported as inedible. Beaks pulled from whale stomachs are noticeably larger than those of any captured specimen, implying the true maximum size is bigger than anything yet landed. Juveniles live near the surface and sink to depths of a kilometre or more as they grow.
What I learned
Draw the colossal squid
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