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The
eyes of the Colossal Squid are larger than that of any
other creature on Earth. It is also known as the largest Species of squid in the world. It can be up to
46 feet in length. This also classifies it as the largest known invertebrate out there as well.
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The
ends of the tentacles also feature extremely sharp hooks. They also have a
longer mantle than most types of squid out there. The females are much larger
in size than the males. They also have a beak that is much larger than any
other squid. They are often mistake for the giant squid due to the many
similarities. Looking at the size of the beak though is a great way to tell
them apart.
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In the
colder waters is where you will find the
Colossal Squid. They can be found along Antarctica, New Zealand, and
even some areas of Africa. However, the habitat of it is extremely remote which
makes it very difficult to observe them in a natural setting.
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The
tend to live in the deeper regions of these areas too. They are more than 1,000
feet below the surface. Even with advanced types of technology it is hard to
observe their natural behaviors there. The offspring though tend to be closer
to the surface so their movements are easier to track.
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There isn't much at all known about this type of squid. Therefore it is hard to guess
what their actual behaviors are. It is believed that they are loners in the
water and that they eat large volumes of food daily.
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It is
believed that they often fight Sperm Whales when they are going to be eaten by
them. This is based on various types of scars on the backs of these whales. The
injuries are consistent with the design of the hooks on the tentacles of the
squid.
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Due to their enormous size, the colossal squid consumes a big volume of
large fish out there. They are very powerful so they don’t have any trouble
capturing and consuming these large fish. They are able to chew of chunks that
they can swallow and it can take them several minutes to consume one large fish
that they have successfully captured.
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The Colossal Squid is one of the few species where the males have a penis for reproduction. However, the
actual reproduction process has never actually been observed to be certain of
what that process entails. Even the courtship of this species of squid isn't known.
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The
first Colossal Squid was identified in 1925. It was found
in the stomach of a dead Sperm Whale. It wasn't until 1981 though that one was
actually captured alive in a net. The largest one every captured was recorded
in 2007. It took place in New Zealand and weighed almost 1,100 pounds.
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There
seems to be a great deal of respect both from fishermen and researchers when it
comes to the Colossal Squid. That
is why such care it taken with evaluating it. You will find many of them in
museums of natural history in these areas as well. This continues to be a species of squid though with plenty of mystery
surrounding it.