- Joined
- Oct 19, 2003
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As Carl Popper taught us; nothing is true, nothing is even likely, things are, at best, not unlikely, so scientific "truth" is never gospel (nor is gospel, for that matter ) and facts are by their nature subjective experiences. It will, however, require quite a bit of a stretch to see an giant or colossal squid live beyond its normal lifespan of maybe two years, let's give it three. One mutation won't be enough, and the chances of the five or six potentially required all happening at once maybe a lot slimmer than the admittedly vast number of squid even allows. This is "gut feeling", not fact. In my wildest imagination I can still picture a 3 or 4 meter ML squid, maybe even an as yet undiscovered species of that size (what on earth would "humongous squid" live off, colossal squid? Sleeper sharks?), but it remains pure speculation. Imagining a viable ecosystem at depth in the ocean with a ridiculously large squid (as in; exceeding 4 meters of ML) requires a long, long stretch, filled with as yet unsustainable assumptions. A surface dwelling monster would have to be spotted more than often, as it would need to maintain a breeding population comparable to other invertebrates.
On a final note, just a thought: the feeding habits of squid are limited by the diameter of its oesophagus, limited in turn by the "need" for it to pass through the brain (i.e.: "Stupid Design"). I should do some calculations, but you could well get to a point where the bulk of a squid becomes unsustainable as it would not be able to gulp down sufficient amounts of small bites in a row, given the available prey items and their average size.
On a final note, just a thought: the feeding habits of squid are limited by the diameter of its oesophagus, limited in turn by the "need" for it to pass through the brain (i.e.: "Stupid Design"). I should do some calculations, but you could well get to a point where the bulk of a squid becomes unsustainable as it would not be able to gulp down sufficient amounts of small bites in a row, given the available prey items and their average size.