What is the Giant Squid?

GENUS: Architeuthis dux
KINGDOM: Mollusca
CLASS: Cephalapoda
ORDER: Teuthoida
FAMILY: Architeuthidae

The Giant Squid is a carnivorous mollusks, the largest mollusk known. It's a deep sea dweller that can grow up to the size of a bus. It has a long torpedo-shaped body, 5 pairs of arms, at one end surrounding the beak its strong enough to cut a steal cable. One pair of tentacles is longer and thinner than the rest which is used to bring food to the mouth.Squid in the genus Architeuthi are found in: northern Atlantic , from Labrador to the Gulf of Mexico; northern Norway to the Azores; northern Pacific from the Bering Sea to the Sea of Japan: southern Japan, Hawaii and California. It is also found in the Southern Ocean. Giant squid are the largest cephalopod (octopus, cuttlefish, squid) and the largest mollusk. Many people know that they are hunted by sperm whales. This is fascinating to most of us, because the giant squid can be as long as the sperm whale that is hunting it. Adults are found deep in the ocean, 200 to 1,000 meters (700 to 3,300 feet) (These are called the "epipelagic" and "mesopelagic" zones). Also found at the bottom in the bathyal zone - which can be 4,000 meters (13,300 feet) deep.

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This image is a piece of sperm
whale skin damaged by squid
suckers in a life and death battle.
The similar size of both animals
make it difficult for the whale to
eat so of course, the battle for
it's meal is not going to be easy.

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History of the Giant Squid
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