Giant Squid

The Giant Squid

Image of a deceased giant squid taken from a seismic vessel. By
Luciana Leite - Leite, L., D. Campbell, L. Versiani, J.A.C.C. Nunes & T. Thiele (2016).
 CC BY 4.0.

Giant squid is the common name for the second largest squid, Architeuthis dux from the phylum Mollusca, family Architeuthidae, genus Architeuthis. The giant squid is also the second largest mollusk, to the colossal squid, and could be the second largest invertebrate in the ocean. They are characterized by their extremely long tentacles and feeding arms. They get their common name from the great size that they can grow to, it is estimated that they can max out at 43 feet from caudal fin to the tip of the two longest tentacles. Extending from their mantle they have eight arms and two longer feeding arms covered in suction cups lined with serrated rings of chitin. This is how they capture their prey.

The giant squid has a very broad range having been in all of the world's oceans. Due to the depths at which they live at and how vastly unknown the oceans are, it is unknown how many are currently living. They are typically found around continental and island slopes but, most of these records come from the stomachs of sperm whales, strandings, and floaters, making their exact distribution unknown. 

These cephalopods have adapted to the deep dark depths of their environment. Besides the feeding arms being twice the length of their body to capture prey, this creature also has eyes that are the size of a dinner plate. This helps them to see and pick up the bioluminescence of many of the other organisms living at such depths.