03-12-2019, 10:42 PM
(This post was last modified: 06-03-2021, 02:22 AM by SameerluvAnimals.)
The colossal squid is believed to be the largest squid species. It is known from only a few specimens, and its maximum size is estimated at 9–10 m (30–33 ft) long and weighing possibly up to 700 kg, making it the largest known invertebrate. It's eyes are about the size of a dinner plate, the largest eyes of any animal.
(The species was first discovered in the form of two tentacles found in the stomach of a sperm whale in 1925. In 1981, a Russian trawler in the Ross Sea, off the coast of Antarctica, caught a large squid with a total length of over 4 m (13 ft), which was later identified as an immature female colossal squid. In 2003 a complete specimen of a sub adult female was found near the surface with a total length of 6 m (20 ft) and a mantle length of 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in). This specimen shows that colossal squids may grow larger than 500 kg. The largest recorded specimen was captured in 2007 by a New Zealand fishing boat off Antarctica. It was estimated to measure 4.5 m (15 ft) in length and weigh 495 kg.)