Giant Squid caught in the Gulf of Mexico
September 21, 2009
The U.S. Department of the Interior reported today that a 19.5 foot long Giant Squid was unexpectedly netted off the coast of Louisiana. The 103 pound squid was caught July 30 in a trawl net at a depth of more than 1,500 feet as it was pulled by a research vessel. It was the first Architeuthis specimen to be found in the Gulf of Mexico since 1954, and the first ever to be recovered by a scientific expedition. The scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service were participating in a pilot study of the diets of Sperm Whales. The rare squid, which did not survive the rapid change in water depth when brought to the surface, was sent to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History for further study.
photo credit: NOAA
The poor guy is pretty beat up, but look at that pretty blue eye! It’s totally worth it to follow the links to the high res image.
Yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a blue-eyed giant squid before. Very striking!