CHALLENGE

[Tintenfisch]

OK, guys, you asked for it. Here's pic #1 of the Amazing GS Discovery. We challenge you to figure out...

What this is, and
Why it's significant

Go for it!

 

[Nancy]

Having absolutely NO experience in these things .....let me be the first to start the speculation! I think it's the stomach of a squid, with lots of contents. Can't go much further than that.

Nancy

 

[Steve O'Shea]

.....I think it's an archaeological dig - a midden site - and you're looking at ~ 200 years of prehistoric mans littering/feeding. The arrows point to broken urns. Either that or it's a festering leg with tons of naggots

 

[perke]

Hmmmm.... Interesting I shall think about the picture while I wait for squid to come into my light trap tonight

 

[rrtanton]

Short answer: I haven't a clue.

Long answer (my weak guesses ): Stomach contents...and it looks like there's a bunch of calcareous "stuff" in there (or at least it looks white and glisteny and jagged like calcareous fragments). I was under the (incorrect?) impression all ceph hard parts were chitinous except for cuttlebones and nautilus shells, so I'll say not ceph parts. But if it's not...then I'm not sure what it IS. I could swear that the items with the arrows look really familar, but...I just can't think what. And maybe these aren't actually hard parts at all.

Can I actually see a third "thing" that's similar to the other "arrowed things," directly above the top "thing?" If it is, well, those remind me most of some squid suckers...I think I've seen some with somewhat serrated edges near the inner rims as seen here.

But...I sure wouldn't bet money on any of that...so, mainly, I just haven't a clue! :?

This is fun!

rusty

 

[Tintenfisch]

.....I think it's an archaeological dig

Not an Archiological dig?

Indeed, Rusty, there is a third Thing of the same origin - well spotted - and probably more. As to the chitinous nature of squid parts... this is true of *most* squid (hint, hint) (also currently unpublished information).

Good guesses so far, on the right track except for one (ahem, STEVE). Any other takers?

 

[Fujisawas Sake]

Wait wait wait... hold the hectocotylus here...

If those ARE shell fragments... Some few months ago before I went on my posting hiatus, Steve told me that Archis spend their time as adults in the deep water column, feeding on fish. If those ARE shell fragments, then that means: (A) They cruise around the bottom of the sea looking for food AND/OR (B).... There's a shelled, free-swimming creature in the deep water column...

Sweet Giant Anteater of Santa Anita!!

Course, I could be wrong...

 

[Fujisawas Sake]

MORE... MORE... MUST... HAVE....MORE... PHOTOS....

Sushi... and... Sake

John

 

[Steve O'Shea]

.....ok, they're not shell fragments .... but I'll not be the one to give any more clues or secrets away.....

..... that image TTF put online is the first of its kind in the world - I can assure you that nothing like it has ever been seen before. In fact it is just so amazing that we even butted heads (as geeks do) when the first cut was made and unknown white objects (and additional scrambled mass) were revealed.

Need more clues? Looks pretty grotty doesn't it

 

[Phil]

A stab in the dark, maybe, but those things look like ....teeth. That round structure to the right of the picture looks like a vertebrae.

Has this squid eaten something it really shouldn't? However.......

I reckon you have found the crushed and broken up remains of a beak and associated buccal mass of another Architeuthis, evidence for cannibalism.