dziwne-zwierzęta-oceaniczne: Cephalopod size

Evidence: 96 • authority: 72

Cephalopods, which include squids and octopuses, vary enormously in size. The smallest are only about 1 centimetre (0.39 in) long and weigh less than 1 gram (0.035 oz) at maturity, while the giant squid can exceed 10 metres (33 ft) in length and the colossal squid can weigh almost 500 kilograms (1,100 lb) or more, making them the largest living invertebrates. Living species range in mass more than three-billion-fold, or across nine orders of magnitude, from the lightest hatchlings to the heaviest adults. Certain cephalopod species are also noted for having individual body parts of exceptional size. Cephalopods were at one time the largest of all organisms on Earth, and numerous species of c…

Evidence: 54 • authority: 72

The colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) is a species of very large squid belonging to the family Cranchiidae, that of the cockatoo squids, or glass squids. It is sometimes called the Antarctic cranch squid or giant squid (not to be confused with the giant squid in genus Architeuthis) and is believed to be the largest squid species in terms of mass. It is the only recognized member of the genus Mesonychoteuthis. The species is confirmed to have a mass of at least 495 kilograms (1,091 lb), although some specimens, known only from beaks found in sperm whale stomachs, may have weighed as much as 600–700 kilograms (1,300–1,500 lb), making the squid the largest extant invertebrate. The ma…

Evidence: 39 • authority: 72

The giant squid (Architeuthis dux) is a species of deep-ocean dwelling squid in the family Architeuthidae. It can grow to a tremendous size, offering an example of abyssal gigantism; recent estimates put the maximum body size at around 5 m (16 ft) for females, with males slightly shorter, from the posterior fins to the tip of its long arms. This makes it longer than the colossal squid at an estimated 4.2 m (14 ft), but substantially lighter, as it is less robust and its arms make up much of the length. The mantle of the giant squid is about 2 m (6 ft 7 in) long (longer for females, shorter for males), and the feeding tentacles of the giant squid, concealed in life, are 10 m (33 ft). Claims…

Evidence: 29 • authority: 71

Colossal squid are thought to grow to more than half-a-tonne (500kg) in weight. While the giant squid's trailing tentacles are far longer than the colossal squid's, the colossal's mantle is both larger and heavier. Cleal said she was chosen to write the book because of her experience writing labels for exhibits aimed at children, making them as friendly and informal as possible. "They knew there's basically an insatiable desire amongst children for information about the colossal squid, whether it's in a book or an exhibition label or in a video," she says. "It constantly fascinates visitors. Everyone who comes to the museum wants to see the colossal squid. A century on from the colossal squid's initial discovery, Ablett says, we still know so little about them. In his 20 years of studying this elusive abyssal giant, "they're just not turning up in enough numbers", he says. "They haven't been observed in the wild, in their natural state yet."

Evidence: 29 • authority: 72

The largest extant animal, as well as the largest animal to ever exist, is the blue whale. The maximum recorded weight was 190 tonnes for a specimen measuring 27.6 metres (91 ft), whereas longer ones, up to 33.6 metres (110 ft), have been recorded but not weighed. It is estimated that this individual could have a mass of 250 tonnes or more. The longest non-colonial animal is the lion's mane jellyfish (120 ft, 36.6 m). While controversial, estimates for the weight of the sauropod Bruhathkayosaurus suggest it was around 110–170 tons, with the highest estimate being 240 tons, if scaled with Patagotitan, although actual fossil remains no longer exist, and that estimation is based on described d…

Evidence: 25 • authority: 72

A squid (pl. squid) is a mollusc with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight arms, and two tentacles in the orders Myopsida, Oegopsida, and Bathyteuthida (though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also called squid despite not strictly fitting these criteria). Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, and a mantle. They are mainly soft-bodied, like octopuses, but have a small internal skeleton in the form of a rod-like gladius or pen, made of chitin. Squid diverged from other cephalopods during the Jurassic and radiated at the beginning of the Late Cretaceous, and occupy a similar role to teleost fish as open-water predators of simil…

Evidence: 19 • authority: 69

The largest living invertebrates (and most likely of all time) are two species of mega-squid. Based on length, the record holder is the giant squid ( Architeuthis dux ) which can grow to at least 13 m (42 ft 8 in); most of this length is in its tentacles with the main body (mantle) reaching up to 2.25 m (7 ft 5 in). The heaviest entire specimen of giant squid on record was approximately 220 kg (485 lb). Colossal squid ( Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni ), on the other hand, take the record based on weight. They have a similar-sized mantle (up to 2.5 m/8 ft 2 in) but shorter tentacles with the biggest intact squid to date measuring 5.4 m (17 ft 9 in); however, they are much heftier, weighing up to 495 kg (1,091 lb). Two of the largest colossal squid caught live to date have been captured by fishermen on board the vessel San Aspiring while in the Ross Sea, off Antarctica. In March 2003, they caught an immature female that measured 5.4 m (17 ft 9 in), while in February 2007 they hauled in an adult male weighing approximately 495 kg (1,091 lb), the largest living cephalopod ever caught. Both specimens were taken to New Zealand's Te Papa Natural History Museum for research and preservation. Giant squid and colossal squid also share a record for having the largest eyes in the animal kingdom (most likely of all time). A 2012 study concluded that among specimens with reliable evidence that both can have eyeballs with a diameter of 27–28 cm (10.6–11 in). Again, historical reports suggest their eyes can reach even larger, up to 40 cm (15.75 in) in diameter, but once again this is unsubstantiated.

Evidence: 0 • authority: 69