New Zealand Fishermen Catch Rare Squid
By
RAY LILLEY, Associated Press Writer
WELLINGTON,
New Zealand (AP) -- A fishing crew has
caught a colossal squid that could weigh
a half-ton and prove to be the biggest
specimen ever landed, a fisheries official
said Thursday.
The
squid, weighing an estimated 990 lbs and
about 39 feet long, took two hours to
land in Antarctic waters, New Zealand
Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton said.
The fishermen were catching Patagonian
toothfish, sold under the name Chilean
sea bass, south of New Zealand "and
the squid was eating a hooked toothfish
when it was hauled from the deep,"
Anderton said.
|
New Zealand
fishermen caught an adult Colossal
squid -- possibly the largest ever
found -- off Antarctica Februrary
22, 2007. Photo courtesy of New Zealand
Ministry of Fisheries |
The
fishing crew and a fisheries official
on board their ship estimated the length
and weight of the squid: Detailed, official
measurements have not been made. The date
when the colossus was caught also was
not disclosed.
Colossal
squid, known by the scientific name Mesonychoteuthis
hamiltoni, are estimated to grow up to
46 feet long and have long been one of
the most mysterious creatures of the deep
ocean.
If
original estimates are correct, the squid
would be 330 pounds heavier than the next
biggest specimen ever found.
"I
can assure you that this is going to draw
phenomenal interest. It is truly amazing,"
said Dr. Steve O'Shea, a squid expert
at the Auckland University of Technology.
If calamari rings were made from the squid
they would be the size of tractor tires,
he added.
Colossal
squid can descend to 6,500 feet and are
extremely active, aggressive hunters,
he said.
The
frozen squid will be transported to New
Zealand's national museum, Te Papa, in
the capital, Wellington, to be preserved
for scientific study.
Marine
scientists "will be very interested
in this amazing creature as it adds immeasurably
to our understanding of the marine environment,"
Anderton said.
Colossal
squid are found in Antarctic waters and
are not related to giant squid found round
the coast of New Zealand. Giant squid
grow up to 39 feet long, but are not as
heavy as colossal squid.
*Photos
courtesy of New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries