- Joined
- Oct 6, 2005
- Messages
- 35
The scarring of whales by the suckers of large squid has been reported, documented, and even photographed. However, is there any indication to which the frequency such markings have been found?
-What can be learned from such scars –for instance, I have heard that sucker scars on a young whale grow with the whale and are responsible for grossly exaggerated estimates of 200 foot long squid (IIRC, 1 inch diameter suckers which eventually stretched to 4 inch diameter scars). Is it possible to distinguish fresh scars from those made when a whale was much smaller, so as to make a reasonable estimate as to the size of the largest squid?
-I would think that given the Sperm Whale’s hypothesized technique of stunning prey squid with sonic projection as well as the likelihood that a good portion of the squid had been crushed in the massive jaws (up to 18 feet) that large squid would be too debilitated and stunned to fight back to produce such scars (even in the case of a near miss snagging some of the arms) –therefore is it possible that the squids are ever the aggressors in such encounters –even if accidentally so?
-Have the sucker marks of different squid species (i.e. Colossal or Giant) been identified as having left such marks?
-On what species of whale have such suckers been found?
Thanks,
Rob Romero
-What can be learned from such scars –for instance, I have heard that sucker scars on a young whale grow with the whale and are responsible for grossly exaggerated estimates of 200 foot long squid (IIRC, 1 inch diameter suckers which eventually stretched to 4 inch diameter scars). Is it possible to distinguish fresh scars from those made when a whale was much smaller, so as to make a reasonable estimate as to the size of the largest squid?
-I would think that given the Sperm Whale’s hypothesized technique of stunning prey squid with sonic projection as well as the likelihood that a good portion of the squid had been crushed in the massive jaws (up to 18 feet) that large squid would be too debilitated and stunned to fight back to produce such scars (even in the case of a near miss snagging some of the arms) –therefore is it possible that the squids are ever the aggressors in such encounters –even if accidentally so?
-Have the sucker marks of different squid species (i.e. Colossal or Giant) been identified as having left such marks?
-On what species of whale have such suckers been found?
Thanks,
Rob Romero
