April 29, 2008
Colossal squid dissection begins
Technicians in New Zealand have begun to thaw a rare colossal squid specimen.And that's not all:The operation to defrost the 10-metre (34 feet) long, half-tonne squid began on Monday afternoon in Wellington following a postponement of 24 hours.
The Te Papa scientists are also defrosting a smaller, damaged colossal squid specimen, and two giant squid. The defrosting and dissection are being shown in a live webcast.From the BBC. More discussion here, including a video link. For the official NZ site with many more news, photo, and video links, look here; particularly recommended is the blog. Ever wondered about what the hooks on these squid's arms and tentacles look like? Check out this picture.
Posted by David on April 29, 2008 10:05 PM
There is also speculation that the big squid is actually a (relatively) small one, based on remains (beaks) found in stomach contents of whales.
But I think I will pass on not only the dissection link but the thawing video, which sounds less thrilling than watching grass grow. Glad it is there for those who want it (and yes, for scientists of several fields it may be of value), but not inclined to tune in.
Posted by: teqjack on April 30, 2008 9:21 PM
Cephalopods are amazingly interesting animals. Those that remain, squid, octopus and nautilus are really just a remnant of the amazing diversity of these animals over time. They were one of the dominant invertebrate groups, exclusively marine, for several hundred million years. Cephalopods combine mobility and intelligence not common in the animal world. The giant squid under study may nor be the "Kraaken" of sea lore, but may actually be yet another giant form still undiscovered.
Posted by: Donald Wolberg on April 30, 2008 9:27 PM
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