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JV: Could the colossal squid glow in the dark? CD: We're not sure at present. This colossal squid does possess light organs, so we suspect that it can glow at times. Some kind of luminescence is going on. It might use this to counter the bioluminescence of its prey. We also found a light organ near the squid's eyelids. The squid could use it like a searchlight in its habitat. The squid was caught at a depth of nearly 3281 feet below the surface, and this species can go even deeper than that. Obviously it is very dark at such a depth, so generating light sources becomes important. That having been said, this squid was built to be invisible. The reason squid have their characteristic pinky-red color is because red is invisible down at these depths. The colossal squid probably remains hidden most of the time, allowing it to capture its prey. JV: What do colossal squid eat? CD: We know it eats...toothfish, since this squid was eating that when it was captured, and remains of toothfish have been found in other squid. We don't know what else it consumes, however. We plan to extend an endoscope down its esophagus to view its stomach contents. The squid's brain is around its esophagus, so that limits the size of the food it can ingest. This squid has a large beak, which it uses to crunch down prey into small bites. It also possesses a feature, sort of like a conveyor belt with teeth, which further helps to process food. By the time food gets to its stomach, it must be pretty mushy. JV: Have you been able to identify any other unusual anatomical features? CD: It has three hearts: one big central one and two pumping stations at the base of each gill. It's really quite neat. The hearts are much more delicate than ours, due to the depth and pressure at which colossal squid live. It pays to be more jellylike at those depths. JV: Describe what it's like to be in a room with such an enormous squid. CD: Someone told me it smells like a fish market, but I'd say a good fish market. If it started to smell like rotten fish, we'd definitely worry, as that would mean its flesh was rotting. Now that the squid is nearly thawed, we have to work very quickly to avoid this from happening. JV: What more do you hope to learn about the squid during this research period? CD: We'd like to know how the squid might normally sit in the water column. Its position in the water will help to tell us how it hunts, sees and behaves. We do know that the squid is fully buoyant, because it has a lot of ammonia for this, and it must have some way of adjusting its ammonia. CD: The ammonia, by the way, is why this squid is not good for human consumption. One of our guys tasted a small sample from the other specimen. It was flavored with ammonia -- not desirable sashimi. JV: What will happen to the squid once the analysis is over? CD: We plan to put it on exhibit for the public at the museum in a solution of 10 percent formalin in around 1,849 gallons of water. JV: Did you ever imagine that you'd be working on a colossal squid? CD: I've done a lot of interesting things in my career, such as getting to work with whole sperm whales, but, I have to admit, I never would have imagined this experience. It's certainly a first for me.
Jennifer Viegas' blog: Born Animal |
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