I may never go back in the ocean again.
“It’s only half to two-thirds grown, so it grows up to four metres in mantle length.” By comparison, the mantle of the giant squid, Architeuthis dux, is not known to attain more than 2.25 metres.
The squid researchers are calling Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni the “colossal squid”. “We’d like to give this animal the name colossal squid in order to have a common name for it as opposed to just the scientific name,” said Kat Bolstad, research associate at Auckland University of Technology. “We feel that colossal conveys both the size and the aggressiveness of the animal.
“This animal, armed as it is with the hooks and the beak that it has, not only is colossal in size but is going to be a phenomenal predator and something you are not going to want to meet in the water.”
Hmmm. Sounds like a good reason to have moved to Colorado.
(via Scott)
This utterly freaked me out, as I used to love sailing when I was younger. Gah, that thing is huge!
And it wasn’t even a mature one. I would hate to see what size a full-grown adult would be.
Somebody cue up that 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea video.
Now, where’s my fire axe …?
Scott said it best…
“Ph-nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn.”
Yeah, but how does it taste on vinegared rice?