Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni - Colossal Squid (caught here in MetaFilter most recently....). Another one, caught about a year ago off Antarctica, was put on ice.... It is being thawed and scheduled to be examined along with a Squidcam!
posted on Apr 27, 2008 - View this thread

Beautiful Squid. How I am obsessed with thee!! A legend, different than an octopus, rarely seen, oddly loved, making its home in the Mediterranean, and the far sea, the giant squid is one of the most elusive creatures of the deep. Even in death it produces treasure.
posted on Jan 16, 2008 - View this thread

Like squid? What about the good ol' octopus? The cuttlefish and nautilus? If you answered yes to these questions Dr. James B. Wood's Cephalopod Page is your go-to site, with information on and pictures of 25+ species of cephalopods including the aptly named (I'm sure) vampire squid from hell. The site also hosts many articles. Not sure where you stand on the coolness of cephalopods? Why don't you start by watching this video of an octopus squeezing through a one inch hole (previously on MetaFilter).
posted on Dec 2, 2007 - View this thread

Happy International Cephalopod Awareness Day! [Via ectoplasmosis.]
posted on Oct 8, 2007 - View this thread

Not to be outdone by the appearance of the Octosquid (previously), other cephalopods have undearthed 900-year-old hidden treasures from the Koryo Dynasty and are taking up residence in the Monterey Bay (Bugmenot works for this last link). Squirrels are also getting in on the action.
posted on Jul 25, 2007 - View this thread

A surprisingly beautiful video of a squid giving birth. The editing is a little over done, and the adult squid doesn't actually show up until 2:50.
posted on Apr 14, 2007 - View this thread

Live giant squid captured off Japan. (Reuters video). Alas, the squid died during capture. Poor squid.
posted on Dec 22, 2006 - View this thread

Dancing with demons - riveting underwater adventure about a close encounter with a giant, hungry Diablo Rojo. Also see filming the Humboldt squid. Past squid threads:1, 2, 3, and 4. Via Squidblog.
posted on Apr 6, 2006 - View this thread

Giant squid photographed.
posted on Sep 27, 2005 - View this thread

Kraken comes to The O.C. More dead jumbo squid are washing up along Orange County's coastline, and although that's bad news for the creatures, it's good news for scientists eager to learn more about the mysterious deep-sea dwellers. If your calamarical appetite hasn't been quenched: Squidblog! Also, classical irony with Electra killing the Kraken.
posted on Mar 23, 2005 - View this thread

Uh Oh! Giant Squids, not to be confused with your regular, everyday squids, are washing up by the hundreds on the beaches of Southern California. This may be because Giant Squids are taking over the world!
posted on Jan 20, 2005 - View this thread

Cuter than a fangtooth. Beautiful images of bioluminescent sea creatures. Learn the difference between fluorescence, phosphorescence, and bioluminescence, as well as the science behind the amazing chemical reaction. (I like the floppy-eared one the best--okay, the plastic bag looking one is nifty too.)
posted on May 12, 2004 - View this thread

'Punk' Catfish Among New Species Found in Venezuela : Scientists studying an unspoiled jungle river wilderness in Venezuela on Thursday announced the discovery of 10 new fish species, including a red-tailed tiddler, a "punk" catfish with a spiky head and a piranha that eats fruit as well as flesh, says The Associated Press.
A little more Here.
Other new species found recently include Baffling 'Mystery Apes' [More on them], some gross, weird things, and even some Odd Critters that thrive without oxygen, growing in salty, alkaline conditions, and may offer insights into what kinds of life might survive on Mars. But it's not just little critters, Pseudoryx nghetinhensis was the first of the new mammal species discovered in quite some time, and even A New giant squid.
Like this stuff? A New Theory says many of the ecological patterns we see can be more simply and often better explained if competing species are treated as if they were essentially identical.
posted on Aug 29, 2003 - View this thread

Hentai made real. Scientists research sex-crazed giant squid.
posted on Aug 6, 2003 - View this thread

'A colossal squid has been caught in Antarctic waters, the first example of Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni retrieved virtually intact from the surface of the ocean. ' Related (old news from January) :- giant squid attacks boat.
More squid sites :- Search for Giant Squid, a Smithsonian exhibit about a 1999 expedition. 'Whether living or extinct, on land or at sea, in literature or in life, large animals have long fascinated people. The largest animals have been known and hunted since prehistory: whales, walruses, elephants, rhinos, hippos, giraffes, and large fishes... However, one large animal has gone almost unnoticed or certainly unobserved in its habitat. That animal is the giant squid. Although these animals have been found in the nets of commercial fishermen, in the stomachs of sperm whales, and washed ashore on different continents, no scientific information has been gathered by direct observations of live giant squid ... '
The UnMuseum's article on the giant squid.
posted on Apr 3, 2003 - View this thread

Giant squid are taking over the world! The bad news is this is most likely a symptom of global warming. The good news is its likely we'll be able to catch a live giant squid to put on display. Hey, its friday.
posted on Aug 2, 2002 - View this thread

It is one of the biggest critters in the ocean and has never been seen alive...until now. The ultimate goal is to get living juveniles to aquariums on land and raise them until their bodies grow to about ten feet long. I'd pay to see one.
posted on Feb 27, 2002 - View this thread

Bizarre new species of deep sea squid - Yes, you may have read about it earlier, but this link is a photo of one of the strangest new species to be discovered in a long time. Seventeen feet of weirdness 10,000 feet below the surface. It's cool that we can still find new alien life forms without yet venturing into space.
posted on Dec 20, 2001 - View this thread