Giant glowing squids

A glowing squid was photographed off the coast of Japan, and a 10-meter-long squid was caught in New Zealand

These are fascinating days for squid fans. Last week an individual belonging to the giant squid species (Architeuthis) was caught on film glowing. The aforementioned legendary giant squid continues to amaze. A group of researchers has published the first images of this deep-sea creature. The photos and video he took revealed not only his speed, but also the fact that he glows in the dark. While chasing prey at a depth of 940 meters in the North Pacific Ocean off the coast of Japan, the metre-long creature was observed flashing lights using a pair of glowing photophores at the end of two of its tentacles (hunting arms). This may be the method to blind the prey in the dark depths, the researchers report in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society. Another possibility is that the photophore flashes are used as tracking lights at a distance from the prey and infrastructure for a precise attack.
(Photo: Tsunemi Kubodera / Tokyo National Science Museum)

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And continuing the squid stories, now the first adult individual of the species colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis) has been caught. The male, which is 10 meters long and weighs 450 kg, died shortly after being brought aboard a fishing boat in the South Seas off the coast of New Zealand. Zoologists hope to learn more about the eyes of this squid - the largest known to date - and to investigate the mysterious reproductive system of this species. All this, on the assumption that they will resist the temptation and not turn it into calamari rings the thickness of tractor tires... (Photo: Ministry of Fisheries of New Zealand)