What large eyes!
COPILED BY ROHINI RAMAKRISHNAN
PHOTO: AP
BIG CATCH: Colossol squid.
In Antarctica's Ross Sea, a fishing boat has caught what is likely the world's biggest known colossal squid (yes, that's the species' name), New Zealand officials announced recently. Heavier than even giant squid, colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) have eyes as wide as dinner plates and sharp hooks on some of their suckers. The new specimen weighs in at an estimated 990 pounds (450 kg). The sea monster had become entangled while feeding on Patagonian toothfish caught on long lines of hooks. The crew then manoeuvred the squid into a net and painstakingly hauled it aboard-a two-hour process. The animal was frozen and placed in a massive freezer below decks. The deep-sea species was first discovered in 1925, though the only evidence was two tentacles found in a sperm whale's stomach. The new specimen is likely the first intact male ever recovered. It is said that the squid would yield calamari rings the size of tractor tyres.
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