Colossal Squid Necropsy

[tonmo]

According to the community calendar, today is the big day for Steve and Kat! They are having their colossal squid necropsy today in Wellington, NZ, together with the Discovery Canada filming crew. Hmm... they probably have to sign NDAs, assuming Discovery will want to air the footage... but whatever, tell us what you can! The calendar entry promises some photos... we're ready!

 

[Jean]

Saw it on the TVNZ news on Friday night! What fun!!!!!! Even got in ahead of the sports news!

Can either Steve or Kat tell me? Is the inner mantle really black?? Or was it ink? or an artifact of filming?

J

 

[Steve O'Shea]

The inside of that mantle was rather weird Jean - I've never seen anything like it before. It most certainly was black/purple. We made one incision and then ...... my word ..... time to walk away and have a good think about things. The anatomy is quite unlike anything I've seen before.

Have to do more work (research/comparative anatomy) on that beast before having another look at it.

 

[Clem]

The inside of that mantle was rather weird Jean - I've never seen anything like it before... We made one incision and then ...... my word ..... time to walk away and have a good think about things... The anatomy is quite unlike anything I've seen before...

Grrrrrrr...

 

[Steve O'Shea]

Sorry Clem, the intention is not to draw this out. There were two different camera crews on us at the time (long story); you have to be so careful under this sort of pressure not to say anything that you would regret later, and certainly not to make incisions everywhere in the body of the animal to try and figure things out in a hurry (once cut, the integrity of the animal is destroyed). It is a slow job figuring these things out.
Cheers
O

 

[Clem]

Steve,

Yes, yes, yes, I know. However, if you really don't intend to draw things...out, then...my lord...you shouldn't...do...this...



Clem

 

[Jean]

I wonder, our colossal friend is a predator right? so maybe the dark colouration is a camouflage thing. I just wonder this because many deepwater fish have black linings to the mouth and oesophagus and the thought is that it is black to aid in ambushing prey. When I watch squid and octis as they open the mantle to take in water you get a flash of the pale inner lining, not good if you're hanging in the pitch black waiting for a toothfish to swim by........ an idea anyhow


What was that about it defaecating into the gills

what a totally weird thing, most other squid I've seen (not that I've seen as many as our resident guru but I've seen a few!!) defaecate into the funnel and so to outside!

j

 

[Steve O'Shea]

The anus opened very posterior on the surface of the digestive gland; I really wasn't prepared for that (quite some distance from the funnel). The gills had quite a remarkable structure; more work required. The nidamental glands were positioned on the lateral face of the digestive gland, dorsal to the gills (instead of along the central, ventral mid-line); they also had rather fleshy lips, reflected anteriorly over the point where the gills insert onto the visceral mass (as if the reproductive tissue had been rotated dorsally, to lie atop the digestive gland). More work required; I am uncomfortable mentioning this much.
Cheers
O

 

[Tintenfisch]

Photos to come though...

 

[WhiteKiboko]

Yes, yes, yes, I know. However, if you really don't intend to draw things...out, then...my lord...you shouldn't...do...this...
Clem

is that out of frustration, or were you trying for a capt. kirk impression?