Mystery squid 2

[Infusoria]

Any chance of everyone re-posting their photos here?

 

[Steve O'Shea]

That's Archi for sure, although there's something very weird about it. You are looking at what appears to be the dorsal surface of the fins, yet the ventral surface of the mantle margin (the indentation around the aperture marking the two mantle-locking cartilages), and the ventral surface of the head (somehow this mantle has been completely twisted around). It might explain the brown goop (digestive gland ruptured) oozing from the mantle cavity, and the wet jetty surface (they've flushed a lot of goop away).

Verdict, Architeuthis, heavy, difficult to haul aboard vessel or move about by fishermen; extensively (anatomically) damaged in the process of getting aboard; put back together again 'not to well' on the jetty.

I'm not aware of too many Archi's being found in Hawaiian waters in recent years; good find!

Matt, I'll repost the image on Monday.

 

[Clem]

Hi Steve,

I was a little confused about the orientation/arrangement of the animal, myself. Sounds like you've nailed it. The skin loss on the mantle and head is so extensive that I wondered if this wasn't a trawled animal, or perhaps one that had recently been run over by a whale. Then again, it might have just been spent and lost its skin when it was being hauled onboard/dragged over the transom/etc. Curious to know what kind of shark worked it over. These fishermen appear to specialize in big billfish (judging from the other photos on site), and I'd like to know what else they caught on the day.

Cheers,

Clem

 

[Squidman]

Squid #3 better be good, Steve.

 

[Steve O'Shea]

Here tiz; reposted

 

[Squidman]

How did you get access to this picture? I looked for others like it, but I couldn't find any.

 

[Steve O'Shea]

It was given to me years ago, whilst working at NIWA. If I recall correctly it was found floating on the surface off Tonga. I don't have any other details (or have forgotten them), as in who took it and when.

 

[chrono_war01]

wow, that's something I've never dream about. Giant Squid floating on Surface. Though this time giant is only the size, not name. That would've given my pet goldfish quite a nightmare too!