damn, when I saw the word captured in the title, I kinda hoped it would still be alive. silly me. posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 1:02 PM on September 21 [4 favorites]
I looked at the pic in the article and somehow it just wasn't as giant squiddy as I was expecting. So I was sad. Then NOAA came to the rescue with a giant giant squid pic (4416p × 3312). All squid, baby. Holy crap. posted by cashman at 1:03 PM on September 21 [4 favorites]
Me too on the live capture... Squid World! posted by Artw at 1:04 PM on September 21
It's a bit ...chewed... looking. posted by Artw at 1:05 PM on September 21
I scanned the title as "Scientists have captured a 103-foot squid". Yikes. posted by weirdoactor at 1:07 PM on September 21
If I looked like that, I would also live at the edge of perpetual darkness. posted by snofoam at 1:14 PM on September 21
We have a recipe for that - nice catch! posted by winks007 at 1:36 PM on September 21
Aaawwwww, it doesn't look all that giant. Boo. I'm holding out for a submarine-sized squid. Or larger. Like big enough to hold cut in on the battle of Mega Shark Vs. Giant Octopus. posted by sadiehawkinstein at 1:37 PM on September 21 [1 favorite]
Specimen Goes To Smithsonian Museum For Further Study
Funny, that's the same reason I went there. posted by Sys Rq at 1:44 PM on September 21 [3 favorites]
You know what they say:
Once you've been squid, you've been did. posted by darkstar at 1:47 PM on September 21
Yeah, I'm having issues with the word "captured" too. Doesn't that mean it should be, like, in captivity?
If I say I caught a fish, that's different than capturing a fish. posted by rokusan at 1:51 PM on September 21
Whenever I hear about scientists finding new specimens of giant squid my first thought is never, "Oh what a cool and interesting discovery, go science!" but always, "I wonder how delicious that would be?" posted by Shesthefastest at 2:01 PM on September 21
Also thought the squid would still be alive. I'm all like, "man, that must be a huge tank!" Alas, it just looks like roadkill.
That squid's got a pretty blue eye! Not nearly as giant as I had hoped. I was kinda picturing something like the squids attacking ships and wrapping their tentacles all the way around ships, like you'd see in history books when learning about the fears Columbus had at that time. I mean, I weigh as much as 1.5 giant squids like that one. If I saw that in a dark alley, I wouldn't think "Oh no! Run!" It'd be more like, "Ew! Don't step on that!" posted by jamstigator at 2:12 PM on September 21
Note to marine biologist: don't forget to capture a giant lemon on the way home. posted by BrotherCaine at 2:16 PM on September 21 [4 favorites]
You know, I'm tired of scientists catching these gigantic animals and not eating them. Apparently nobody knows what a Japanese Spider Crab tastes like either! posted by Comrade_robot at 2:22 PM on September 21
Can anyone speak to the effect of this on the local ecosystem? It seems that the squid would be an exotic species and potentially destructive. posted by Hypnotic Chick at 2:23 PM on September 21
The photo needs something in it for scale. Like a maltipoo. posted by cjorgensen at 2:37 PM on September 21 [3 favorites]
Sorry, guys; the squid's no good to eat:
Giant squid and some other large squid species maintain neutral buoyancy in seawater through an ammonium chloride solution which flows throughout their body and is lighter than seawater. This differs from the method of floatation used by fish, which involves a gas-filled swim bladder. The solution tastes somewhat like salmiakki and makes giant squid unattractive for general human consumption.
Though I do like salmiakki and generally can't get enough of it, the idea of it being mixed into the general slimy-fishiness of squid is a bit ugh. posted by Maximian at 2:43 PM on September 21
Man, I know it's getting old to rag on this administration, but when we elected a guy with nerdish tendencies, I was seriously hoping he'd be the type to try to capture gigantic squids alive and befriend them. Maybe it's too much to ask.
If Palin were in power, though, it would totally have been eaten by now. Granted, she'd probably have done a bad job cooking it, but you go to dinner with the meal you have, not the meal you want. posted by mccarty.tim at 2:48 PM on September 21
I'm tired of scientists catching these gigantic animals and not eating them.
Actually, one time Jacques Cousteau was near Antarctica and they found a giant squid that was still fresh so he had the ships chef cook up some of it for the crew, but it was inedible. I have the book at home. posted by snofoam at 3:10 PM on September 21
er, ship's chef, but you get the picture. posted by snofoam at 3:15 PM on September 21
Oh god, at first I thought those two rusty bluish bolts in the ship's deck were ENORMOUS ANIME SQUID EYES STARING PLAINTIVELY INTO MY SOUL. posted by elizardbits at 3:20 PM on September 21 [2 favorites]
Scientists have captured a 19.5-foot, 103-pound giant squid off the coast of Louisiana, only the second known giant squid caught in the Gulf of Mexico since 1954.
That is hands-down the most graceless sentence I have read in a month. Is a "known squid" something like a "known counterfeiter?" posted by ricochet biscuit at 5:39 PM on September 21
Voyage ... to the Bottom of the Sea! posted by bwg at 6:34 PM on September 21
Heh...as opposed to an alleged giant squid... posted by darkstar at 6:55 PM on September 21
There are known squid. These are squid we know that we know. There are known unknown squid. That is to say, there are squid that we now know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknown squid. These are squid we do not know we don’t know. posted by brundlefly at 7:11 PM on September 21 [3 favorites]
Squid on a plane, man. posted by darkstar at 9:08 PM on September 21
Man from now on I will click on any link simply marked '???' with unrestrained girlish glee. posted by six-or-six-thirty at 1:10 AM on September 22 [1 favorite]
I was all ready to post "this squid will soon be dead." Man. Shoulda known better. Not even a video to study how its tentacles or body move (if they do?) when caught in a net, before letting it just die? posted by rahnefan at 4:31 AM on September 22
I'd say I want to catch a live one, but I don't think it will fit in any of our tanks.
Which is too bad, because the idea of it completely filling the space inside the tank and having that giant eye staring out at me was oddly amusing to me.
(Particularly when I imagine the tips of the tentacles coming up over the lip and wiggling in greeting to me when I come home.) posted by quin at 8:50 AM on September 22
Subscribe
posted by cogneuro at 12:43 PM on September 21 [1 favorite]