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I popped into a charity shop today and picked up a copy of the National Geographic magazine for June 1998 (for 10p!) and inside was an article all about the Kaikoura Canyon research expedition that was underway at that time. Inside were an interesting set of photographs that I do not recall seeing on TONMO before, and are worth displaying here even though this news is approaching six years old.
What we are looking at here is a ropecam suspended at a depth of 2,400 feet. A video camera had been wired into a frame containing lights and two lures on a boom, namely a liquid bait comprising of powerful essence of barracuda, and the other containing a piece of fish. It seems that an arrow squid (Nototodarus) attracted by the bait encountered a spiny dogfish shark in the vicinity. The dogfish may have approached too close to the squid for the squid appeared to seize the shark wrapping its arms and tentacles around it. Either accidentally or deliberately, the squid closed its arms around the sharks gill slits as it struggled arguably in an attempt to suffocate the shark. A second or two later the squid released the shark and jetted away.
In the photographs below please note that the Nototodarus has been colour enhanced for clarity. The sequence is as follows, in the first and largest picture the squid can clearly be seen entwined around the shark. The second picture shows the squid releasing its grip and third, though hard to see, shows the squid jetting away behind and away from the tail of the shark.
A question for Steve here, given that you have examined a good number of Architeuthis stomach contents, is there any particular reason why an incredibly powerful liquid bait could not be employed in this manner to attempt to catch an image of the animal? I know that the majority of Architeuthis stomach contents are empty, but there must to some clues that could be employed to make an Archi-specific enticing bait.
What we are looking at here is a ropecam suspended at a depth of 2,400 feet. A video camera had been wired into a frame containing lights and two lures on a boom, namely a liquid bait comprising of powerful essence of barracuda, and the other containing a piece of fish. It seems that an arrow squid (Nototodarus) attracted by the bait encountered a spiny dogfish shark in the vicinity. The dogfish may have approached too close to the squid for the squid appeared to seize the shark wrapping its arms and tentacles around it. Either accidentally or deliberately, the squid closed its arms around the sharks gill slits as it struggled arguably in an attempt to suffocate the shark. A second or two later the squid released the shark and jetted away.
In the photographs below please note that the Nototodarus has been colour enhanced for clarity. The sequence is as follows, in the first and largest picture the squid can clearly be seen entwined around the shark. The second picture shows the squid releasing its grip and third, though hard to see, shows the squid jetting away behind and away from the tail of the shark.
A question for Steve here, given that you have examined a good number of Architeuthis stomach contents, is there any particular reason why an incredibly powerful liquid bait could not be employed in this manner to attempt to catch an image of the animal? I know that the majority of Architeuthis stomach contents are empty, but there must to some clues that could be employed to make an Archi-specific enticing bait.