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At the time it was caught, O'Shea said it would make calamari rings the size of tractor tires if cut up -- but they would taste like ammonia, a compound found in the animals' flesh. Fishermen off the coast of Antarctica accidentally netted the squid in February 2007 while catching Patagonian toothfish, which are sold under the name Chilean sea bass. The squid was eating a hooked toothfish when it was hauled from the deep. Recognizing it as a rare find, the fishermen froze the squid on their vessel to preserve it. The national museum, Te Papa Tongarewa, later took possession of it. The previous largest colossal squid ever found was a 660 pound female squid discovered in 2003, the first ever landed. Researchers plan to eventually put the squid on display in a 1,800 gallon tank of formaldehyde at the museum in the capital, Wellington. Colossal squid are found in Antarctic waters and are not related to giant squid found round the coast of New Zealand. Giant squid grow up to 39 feet long, and are not as heavy as colossal squid.
Jennifer Viegas' blog: Born Animal |
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