Since ancient times, myths have circulated among people about giant monsters from the abyss, thirsting for the blood and flesh of sailors-travelers. The unexplored depths of the ocean, which could not be conquered then, were the object and the main reason for inventions, fairy tales and terrible fables concerning its mysterious inhabitants. It is worth saying that even today no one can say for sure that the water space of the planet, the so-called abyss, has been fully explored. Ancient records tell of how monsters with huge tentacles from deep sea attacked ships and galleys, carrying them into the abyss. Those who managed to survive after the attack very often embellished their stories about unseen creatures, attributing fictional abilities to the monsters and distorting them. appearance... Due to all of the above factors, it was almost impossible to establish with whom exactly the pilgrims met.
Today the situation has changed somewhat, and mankind has learned a lot about some of the unusual inhabitants of the seas and oceans. In the article, we would like to talk about the largest squid in the world, namely, talk about their distinctive features, characteristic features species and give interesting and reliable facts about huge sea monsters.
Habitat of huge molluscs
It is known for certain that there is giant squid that live in the depths of the waters of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. Also, these cephalopods can live in the seas, both warm and cold. People have more than once managed to catch individuals that could be called the largest squid in the world. Sometimes it even happened that the giant was chopped up by the ship's propellers when he tried to attack. However, when such events first took place, humanity did not have the necessary equipment in order to study the characteristics of the captured animal. Modern technologies allow you to thoroughly explore these living beings and provide complete information about them.
Giant architeutis and the first mention of it
One of the largest inhabitants of the ocean depths is the giant squid, or architeutis, as it is called in scientific books. Individuals of this species prefer to be in the temperate and subtropical latitudes of all 4 oceans. Giant squids live at a depth of several kilometers and only sometimes swim to the surface. The first mentions of architeutis are found at the end of the 19th century. During another sea voyage in 1887, which took place off the coast of New Zealand, sailors discovered a strange and frightening creature. It was not difficult to notice, because the storm waves of a huge mollusk was simply thrown onto the land. According to the information that the expedition was able to obtain on the spot, the size of the unusual find was amazing. The length of the body of the monster reached incredible dimensions - 17.5 meters, and 5 of them were only tentacles. The mantle of an adult was also by no means small - about 2 meters. Unfortunately, it was not possible to establish the exact weight of the sea monster at that time, but, judging by the parameters given, it was quite large.
Successful attempt to investigate a huge dweller of the deep
The next individual, called one of the largest squid in the world, was discovered in Antarctica 120 years after the first mention of the sea monster. In 2007, fishermen caught a deep-sea inhabitant, whose body reached 9 meters in length. Then the weight of the find was easy to establish, because fishing tankers now have all the necessary equipment to weigh the catch right on board. The giant squid surprised the crew with its size, since its weight was just over 500 kilograms.
Intimidating mesonichoteutis
At present, it is known for certain that architeutis is far from the only species of inhabitants of the depths that frighten mankind with its dimensions. Since time immemorial, there has been another representative of the giant monsters of the cephalopod mollusk species on earth - mesonychoteutis. This giant monster squid is considered one of the largest today. It can be called a close relative of the architeutis, only it is much more majestic. Mesonichoteutis is the only representative of its kind, because, unlike the architeutis, its weight is somewhat larger: only the mantle of adults reaches mind-boggling dimensions - its length is four meters. By the way, another name for the giant is colossal.
The contents of the stomach of a sperm whale, revealing new facts to science
The first records of mesonichoteutis were made in the early 19th century. British zoologist Robson examined tentacles taken from the stomach of a sperm whale caught in the southern islands of Scotland, and concluded that they could only belong to the aforementioned sea giant. In the future, for many years, no information has been reported regarding monster squid cephalopods.
Great luck of scientists
A significant period of time after the study of the tentacles of the sea monster by Robson, scientists discovered 4 eggs in the far Atlantic, presumably left by mollusks. After studying their composition and origin, they came to the conclusion that the eggs really belong to a female squid. rare species mesonichoteutis. Scientific data appeared in 1970, that is, almost 50 years after the first Robson experiment. The characteristics and features of the preserved masonry were carefully studied by experienced specialists of that time. And 9 years after research work managed to catch an adult mesonichoteutis. The size of her mantle was 117 cm long, and it was the female of the largest squid in the world.
Bloodthirsty and terrible kraken: fiction or reality?
About giant squids, whose history goes back to the distant past, are legendary today. Ancient sailors told tales about sea monsters that attacked ships, covered them with their tentacles and carried away all life to the seabed. These mythical creatures at that time received the nickname kraken. Until the end of the 16th century, they were considered fictional. However, after a while, mankind became convinced of the opposite, because the kraken washed up on the coast of Western Ireland was first found, and subsequently presented as an exhibit in the Dublin Museum. By the way, the kraken is the most big squid in the world that science knows today.
Distinctive features of the kraken
The giant mollusk differs from other oceanic inhabitants by its head, which has a cylindrical shape, on which something resembling a bird's beak is located. It is with them that he captures and grinds prey. The eyes of the kraken are considered the largest in comparison with the organs of vision of all other animals living on planet Earth. Their diameter is 25 cm. The color of the creature changes depending on the disposition of the spirit: from dark green to blood red. The largest squid in the world and its peculiarity in the form of a spiky tongue, with which the mollusk pushes prey into the stomach, instills fear even in experienced sailors.
Giants attack people
It is worth noting the fact that the captain of the Norwegian fishing tanker Arne Grenningseter recently told the society an amazing story about a huge kraken. According to him, the giants pose an incredible danger to people who have dedicated their lives to fishing, or simply to those who like to be at sea. The fact is that his ship "Brunswick" was attacked by the aforementioned monster several times. The captain told about the tactics that the mollusk chooses to attack: he first floats to the surface of the water from the abyss, then for a short time accompanies the ship, as if waiting for a certain moment, and then suddenly emerges from the water and pounces on the ship. Only due to the fact that the tentacles of the cephalopod monster could not catch on the surface of the deck and the hull of the ship, the crew managed to escape and remain unharmed in an unequal battle.
Fixed values
If we talk about specific numbers that relate to the dimensions of huge underwater inhabitants, and answer the question about the size of the largest squid in the world (their body length), then it is worth disappointing the seekers of such information. Until now, science has not established any certain values... Experts only assume that the length of the body of cephalopods living in the water area of the World Ocean and preferring its very bottom can exceed 50 meters.
Interesting facts about giant squid
There are several fascinating and real facts about the life of the huge and frightening inhabitants of the depths. We will list only the most interesting ones:
- Currently, a mammal is known that can attack one of the largest squids in the world (its name is architeutis) - the sperm whale. In the old days and to this day, real fights took place between opponents, in which, as a rule, the sperm whale won. It is thanks to the contents of the stomach of a mammal that science has been able to establish the very fact of the existence of a deep-sea giant.
- The first photos of an adult giant squid were taken in Japan. An overgrown mollusk was found on the surface of ocean waters and dragged ashore. It was not possible to keep the exclusive inhabitant of the marine fauna alive. The squid died within 24 hours after taking it out of the water. Today, the remains of this creature are kept in the Japanese Museum of Nature and Science.
- The "buoyancy" of the largest squid in the world, the dimensions of which really amaze the imagination, is due to the content of an aluminum chloride solution in their body, which has a lower density than seawater. Because of this property that distinguishes it from others marine life having an air bubble, the deep-sea giant squid is unsuitable for human food.
- The age of squid is determined by their beak.
- Unlike other deep-sea inhabitants, the brain and nervous system of squid are unusually developed and still remain a mystery and a subject of research for scientists and specialists in this field.
- Despite their impressive size, giant squids can remain invisible to their prey. This is evidenced by the imprints of suckers on the bodies of whales exposed to the attacks of these monsters. Scientists have proven that architeutis, mesonichoteutis and kraken lead a passive lifestyle. However, during the hunt for prey, they are active and resourceful.
- In anticipation of danger, the colossal squid releases a protective liquid that is lethal to humans and other sea creatures.
- One suction cup, which is located directly on the tentacles of a giant squid, will interfere with about 20 liters of water.
Outcomes
In conclusion, I would like to say that it does not matter at all what the world's largest squid looks like. The stories that sailors told about the giant kraken go back to the distant past. Only the facts remain - irrefutable, reliable. But here's the paradox: some of them still remain a mystery to zoologists. Today, everyone knows only that giant squids are not fiction, but reality, which is covered with a veil of mystery.
Ecology
The brain is an amazing and, perhaps, the most mysterious organ, small biological computer, the center through which living beings receive commands for action.
The brain in animals is very different depending on the species and can be a small accumulation of nerve cells or a complex and amazing system of neurons.
We invite you to find out the most interesting facts about the brain of animals and humans which may surprise you a lot.
Spider brain
Brain spiders sometimes so great that displaces other organs, which in some cases can move to lower limbs. Smithsonian Tropical Research institute made this discovery while studying the nervous system of the world's smallest spider. His brain takes 80 percent cavity of his body.
Scientists have found that the smaller the animals, the bigger their brain in proportion to the rest of the body. For example, the human brain is only 2-3 percent from total mass body. E of some small ants the brain takes 15 percent and tiny spiders have even more.
Leeches brain
Leeches may seem to you unattractive and even disgusting living creatures that are capable of sticking to the skin of humans or animals and suck their blood... This property of leeches is often used in alternative medicine, for example, to help cleanse infected wounds.
It cannot be denied that leeches are amazing creatures, because they have 5 pairs of eyes, 300 teeth and .. 32 brains! However, technically they have one brain, which consists of 32 nerve nodes, which are actually separate brains.
Small brain of giant squid
Giant squid when eating, bite off relatively small pieces of food, since when swallowing food must pass through them donut-shaped brain, and only then get into the esophagus. Such a giant creature has biggest eyes among all the creatures of the planet, however, his brain is surprisingly small.
The male giant squid uses his 15-gram brain to coordinate your 150-pound body. The length of this giant reaches 10 meters, and its genital organ reaches 1.5 meters in length.
Cordyceps feeds on some non-vital organs of the ant, entangling the brains of poor insects with their threads, forcing the ants to climb the tops of the plants. After some time, the fungus kills the ant and sprouts in the form of a fungus from its head. Typical plot of a horror movie.
The smallest nervous system of insects
Tiny wasp kind Megaphragma mymaripenne smaller than unicellular amoeba despite the fact that she has body parts such as eyes, brain, wings, genitals and digestive system.
Researchers found that she has the tiniest nervous system of all known insects. The wasp's head contains relatively little a large number of neurons when it is a larva, but later, when the wasp becomes an adult, the number of neurons shrinks even more since they don't have enough room in her little head. However, she does not need a lot of brains: adults live no more than 5 days.
Brain of worms
Tiny brain worms kind C. elegans nematode consists of all 302 neurons, however, despite this fact, it has the same functions as the nervous system of other more complex organisms.
Scientists are studying amazing features of the roundworm brain to understand the underlying mechanisms more complex animal behavior... Perhaps this will help reveal some of the secrets of the human brain.
The tunicates eat their own brain
Tuners- similar to pouches hermaphrodite creatures that cling to corals and filter their food in a marine fashion. They produce offspring similar to tadpoles, which scatter in the water in search of new homes.
In the larval stage, tunicates have the same anatomical characteristics as fish, birds, reptiles, and even mammals, but as they mature they lose their brain and become literally "brainless".
They digest their own nerve nodes, which are responsible for movement, which they no longer need, since the rest of their lives, tunicates lead an immobile lifestyle.
Fish brain
The statement that women are more stupid than men has long been recognized as false, but one species of marine life has this idea has a real reason... The brain of the fish family sticklebacks living in the lake Mivan in Iceland, has significant differences in size depending on gender.
Scientists believe that such inequality may be due to the fact that males need to use more brain resources, as they compete with each other, build nests, care for females during the mating season, and even take care of eggs. Females only mate and spawn.
Bird brain
Many have long been interested in the question of how woodpeckers succeeds not damage the brain while foraging, after all, they do not hit with their beak with such force on the hard surfaces of tree trunks.
Like many bird species, woodpeckers have complex skulls made up of tiny and very light bones... The skull weight of an average bird is no more than 1 percent from her total body weight. Woodpeckers have a built-in defense mechanism- an air bag that softens shocks and protects the brain.
Big brains of dogs
Dog breeds King charles spaniel have an affable character and cute appearance, for which they are widespread. However, in the process of breeding this breed, it turned out that dogs have one serious problem: many representatives began to manifest a disease in which the animals' brains were too large to fit in their small heads.
According to one veterinarian, this is the same as trying to fit your foot into a shoe that is a few sizes smaller. The disease takes lives about one third of dogs of this breed Moreover, poor animals suffer greatly from headaches.
The amazing brain of the crows
Corvids- a family of birds that includes crows, rooks, jackdaws, jays and magpies... These birds, as you know, are quite intelligent, and their level of intelligence is sometimes can be compared to the intelligence of primates.
Their extraordinary memory, ability to reason logically and the ability to use tools surprised scientists a lot. These birds are capable of using tools such as sticks to get to the tasty maggots... Such abilities among animals have chimpanzee.
Birds also know how to hide food from prying eyes, but sometimes they can make false hiding places: they pretend that they are hiding something, to confuse the thieves who want to feast on other people's supplies.
Dolphin brain
Do you know what the dolphin brain really is more human brain? Bottlenose dolphin, for example, can recognize, remember and solve problems, which makes him the closest in intelligence to a human being on our planet.
New cerebral cortex a dolphin is more complex than that of a person, it endows dolphins with self-awareness, that is, they able to think realistically, not just act on instinct.
Human brain
Man belongs to the kingdom animals, however, as you know, we are too different from other representatives of the animal world, in particular we have a unique brain.
It is known for certain that the human brain is more developed than the brain of its closest primate relatives. But we ourselves cannot fully understand its complexity and versatility. The brain uses about 20 per cent the total amount of oxygen in our body, it can process information very quickly, and each part has separate functions.
Squid - a creature at first glance, simple and even primitive. His entire body consists of an oblong boneless sac with internal organs and a large head from which tentacles with suction cups grow. However, this inhabitant sea waters is not as simple as it seems, but there are many interesting things to tell about his life. Surprising squid facts are a topic worth checking out.
Squids live in the salty waters of almost the entire world ocean - both in the hot tropics and in the icy Arctic. Some live near the surface, others - at depths of up to 2 km, where eternal pitch darkness reigns. The deeper their habitat, the larger their size. However, the giant specimens could be seen and even caught close to the surface of the water.
The color of the mollusk can be different and depends on the habitat. How colder water, the paler it is, but there are both pink and bright blue varieties. Most species are capable of changing color when their body is exposed to an electrical discharge, danger, or other external factors. Some of the deep sea species can phosphoresce in the dark with blue or violet light. Inhabitants northern seas almost colorless, and at great depths were found completely transparent, "glass" specimens. Only the insides and eyes remain opaque. If, in case of danger, such a squid does not have time to escape, then it freezes and collects a huge portion of water, swelling like a ball.
In the surface layers of warm seas, a special species is found, which is tiny in size and gathers in large schools. They absolutely do not know how to move independently and drift freely with the ebb and flow of the tide. Inside they have a cavity filled with ammonium chloride (ammonia). It is lighter than water, which keeps them always on the surface. Some deep-sea giant squids have the same mechanism of "floating in water" (neutral buoyancy). And in some small species, negative buoyancy is observed, so they are forced to constantly release jet jets, which makes their existence very energy-intensive.
Instead of hemoglobin, hemocyanin with copper is present in the blood of these mollusks, which is why it has an aristocratic blue color. Moreover, they have three hearts that have a direct connection with three tentacles.
Squids have excellent eyesight, and their eyes are considered the largest on the planet. Among the specimens caught by man, the most impressive was a giant mollusk with eyes 40 cm in diameter. Only the lens of such an eye was the size of an orange, due to which it had the ability to transmit a large amount of light and see at great depths. At the same time, the structure and functioning of the ocular apparatus is very similar to the human one, and in some respects it is much superior to it. Their eyes can be of different sizes, and are tuned to different light intensities, which is why they see perfectly at depth and even where the beam of light practically does not penetrate.
There is not a single bone in the body of a squid. When taken to dry land, they transform into shapeless flesh. Only the chitinous beak and the celluloid cartilage of the head are solid in the body. The mollusk has a brain and has a lively intelligence, is able to make lightning-fast and well-considered decisions. Their nerve fibers, which are known to determine the speed nervous system, are considered one of the thickest and exceed human by 100 times!
A special tube in the body plays the role of a siphon, capable of pushing them out with a powerful water jet, which ensures a high speed of movement. The siphon is movable, and can turn in any direction and even back, thanks to which the mollusk easily changes its direction of movement. At the same time, the body is pulled into a thin torpedo, the tentacles are connected and pushed forward, and the "wings" are tightly wrapped around the body. At the same time, the resistance of water is minimal, and the sea animal can develop tremendous speed, masterly controlling its body.
There is a kind of squid, which, fleeing from enemies, are able to jump out of the water and fly several tens of meters. At the same time, they often fall "out of the fire and into the fire", becoming the prey of birds of prey.
Variety Octopoteuthis deletron, living at a depth of 800 m, is notable for the very short maturity of the male. Without bothering to search, a representative of the species hangs its capsules with spermatozoa on the first individual that comes across, regardless of gender.
Squid have no territories "assigned" to them. Leading an extremely mobile life, they can migrate over great distances. Outside of spawning, the direction of their movement has no system, it seems that they are swimming wherever they look. When the time for spawning comes, the speed reaches 70 km / h, and they swim to short term thousands of kilometers away.
Squids are omnivorous, and the larger their size, the more varied the menu. Small plankton, other mollusks, all kinds of fish, they do not shun their own kind. Adult mollusks are happy to eat the younger generation of their own species. Giant individuals choose larger prey for themselves, and there are many known cases when they attacked humans.
There is still no reliable information about whether there are mysterious krakens (of grandiose size squids or, in another opinion, octopuses) or whether it is mythical creatures never existed on the planet. A movie has been made about them and fantastic stories have been written, but the question remains open. In theory, a large squid can harm a small vessel. But the picture in which he pierces the hull of the ship with a tentacle is completely devoid of credibility. Without a skeleton, these creatures can only squeeze, stretch and tear the victim, but not pierce it through. As for the fight against the caught giant on the deck, out of the water they are completely helpless.
Nevertheless, they are quite capable of pulling a person from a boat into the sea with the help of huge tentacles. So, researchers have already accumulated a lot of evidence about the mysterious Humboldt squid that lives in the Atlantic. The marine animal is huge in size and is able to quickly change its color by opening and closing special bags with pigment (chromatophores) located in the thickness of the skin. If all the chromatophores are closed, they turn white, sometimes they can be dark green, in anger or in times of danger, their color becomes bright red.
Historical fact. In 2011, the giant Humboldt attacked a fishing boat near the resort of Loreto, to which there were many witnesses as the ship was sailing along the coastal course in front of holidaymakers. Thick tentacles suddenly emerging from the water began to grab the fishermen and drag them into the water. Several bodies later thrown ashore were completely covered with dark blue bruised spots left by powerful suckers, and one of them was literally chewed up and did not resemble a human body.
Squids themselves have many enemies, the main of which is the sperm whale, except for the person who chose them as a gastronomic delicacy. If a large squid (architeutis) meets a sperm whale, a terrible battle is played out between them. In 99% of cases, the sperm whale wins, as a stronger animal. Therefore, the cephalopods try to avoid this battle, releasing, like octopuses, an ink stain or fleeing.
Much has been written about the cephalopod smoke screen, but researchers continue to discover amazing facts... The squid can handle a real dressing up scene! Seeing a danger, he can suddenly turn black and then release ink, while becoming completely colorless, and quickly escape. The spot released by him takes on its own shape, confusing the predator, which focuses its gaze on the "model". And only when this dark silhouette is touched, it literally explodes into a dark cloud, leaving the enemy to wander in the darkness. Leaving your own image in place of yourself, changing your outfit and invisibly disappearing from the stage is a truly ingenious maneuver!
The coloring liquid, released in case of danger, not only "muddies the water", but also has a paralyzing effect on the olfactory system of fish. For some time after its exposure, predators are not able to catch the smell of the prey, even if they come close to it. The action paralyzing the nerve olfactory cells lasts about an hour. But this "drug" also acts on the cephalopods themselves. If a squid in captivity releases ink in a confined space, if the concentration is exceeded, it can fall prey to its own weapon. People who came under the direct influence of camouflage paint talked about painting the entire underwater world in a wonderful amber color, which they managed to get rid of after a short time without harming their eyes.
The squid is well armed, and besides the ink pouch. Its tentacles are equipped with hundreds of powerful suckers, and in some species they are also equipped with sharp, curved, like those of cats, claws. It has no teeth, but it has a strong chitinous beak, which is quite capable of piercing the crab shell or the ridge of a large fish.
For the life of squid strong influence the moon renders. They migrate mainly at night, while the more clear it is, the more active the movement. Sometimes the lunar favor leads them to death - moving along it when entering shallow bays, a flock of thousands of squids can accelerate and fly ashore. However, sometimes they mistake the light of coastal lanterns for a lunar path.
The lifespan of medium-sized individuals is 1 year. It is difficult to confirm or deny this statement due to the difficulties of observation at great depths, but during the entire period of research, not a single specimen was caught older than a year.
Squids mate quickly and without foreplay. In fact, this is an interesting and complex process. During a short mating, the male places a spermatophore (a tube-bag of sperm) on the female's body. In large specimens, they can reach a meter. This tube is not simple, but with its own mechanism for ejection of sperm, which includes a fuse-hair, a strong spring, and even a tube with glue that is able to glue living things to living things in water (a surgeon's dream!). The spermatophore comes out of the funnel in the lower part of the head, and in order to transfer it to the female and insert it where needed, there is either a penis or a modified tentacle-hand with special clamps. The female may have the right place in the most different places depending on the variety - under the beak, near the gills, on the inner surface of the mantle, and even on the back of the head. However, the male does not care where to glue his bag in order to unload - even on the back of the head, even on the tail. This is where his mission ends.
After leaving the body of the male, the spermatophore comes into contact with salt water, which starts the process. The outer shell explodes, water gets inside and activates a spring, which is thrown out along with the inner shell with sperm, hitting exactly the right place on the female's body, where it immediately sticks and it remains to wait for the eggs to spawn for fertilization. Fast as a short dogfight. At the same time, the male is little worried about the sexual maturity of the female. Several months may pass before spawning, by that time the “happy father” may have been dead for a long time. The viability of seed material lasts up to 3 months.
The female squid gives birth to offspring once in a lifetime. After laying eggs, she dies, and her body floats to the surface and is carried to the shore, where it becomes the prey of predatory coastal birds.
