[News]: Giant Squid Deaths Puzzle Scientists

[tonmo]

MSNBC posted the following article today about two recent giant squid deaths in Spain:

Giant squid deaths puzzle scientists

Thanks to TONMO.com member joelozito for the heads up!

 

[Steve O'Shea]

OK, really interesting; nice bit of skin on the mantle of the illustrated specimen, but there still appears to be a lot of skin abrasion that is consistent with having been through a trawl (and having been discarded).

Can anyone tell me if any new fishery (or established fishery) operating ~ 250-600 metres occurs off this coast, and what the local bathymetry is off this area?

We've now had five caught here over the past few months (winter-spawning population). If these are females (they have to be, the one ~ 40 feet in length) then they are FULLY mature (and likely spent). If these are true strandings (as in stranding post portem, natural mortality) then this female must be spent. Does anyone have any contact details/persons so that we can get to the bottom of the autopsy?

Money on it that the regularity in periodicity of capture is related to the breeding cycle of the animal in the general vicinity (rather than global warming ... I doubt this to be the case).
Cheers (great post)
O

 

[Fujisawas Sake]

Well, here's another one of CNN's trademark "let's tell 'em NOTHING articles":

Spain records squid deaths

Food for thought. Sorry its been awhile since my last post. 8)

Sushi and Sake,

John

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[Bald Evil]

OMG! GLOBAL WARMING IS DEPLETING OUR GIANT SQUID POPULATION! This can only be another one of Blofeld's insidious schemes...

 

[Clem]

BE,

Blofeld may hate squid, but isn't Spectre's symbol an octopus?

The Asturias region of Spain has more cephalopods than Architeuthis to boast of. There's an ongoing experiment in aquaculture aimed at raising Octopus vulgaris in quantity.

Clem

 

[Ogross]

navy the cause for squid death?

Hi

Enn gives new story on the spanish squid issue:

Spanish navy shocks blamed for giant squid deaths
http://www.enn.com/news/2003-09-19/s_8591.asp

[edited by tonmo, full article can't be reproduced here, try link above ]

 

[joel_ang]

Well at least it ain't something thats going to stay for long. But I still ain't happie.....4 lives too many... :x

 

[Melissa]

Reminds me of the suspicion that US sonar caused whale deaths in the Carribean. Who's the real pirate there? Arrr! :x

Melissa

 

[Clem]

Ogross,

Thanks for posting that ENN/Reuters item. While I'm sure his heart is in the right place, I think Mr. Laria's categorical claim that sonar killed these Architeuthis is indefensible. Unless he personally examined the dead squid and determined which physical structures were compromised by the Hesperides sonar (something most every teuthologist would love to know about), blaming the ship's sonar smacks of agenda-driven opportunism.

It's odd that neither Reuters story has mentioned the two possible causes of death which Steve O'Shea suggested: that the squid were trawled in nets and discarded, or that they died after spawning. Perhaps Mr. Laria was uncomfortable laying blame on the local fisheries or discussing Archie's sex life, but I suspect that he's simply out of his depth.

:x

Clem

 

[Clem]

One of the giant squid that was collected in the Asturian region of Spain made its way to the Musée de la Mer in Biarritz, in 2002. Click here to see photos of the squid in its acrylic sarcophagus, and navigate to other aspects of the presentation using the menu at the bottom of the page. Concours de dessin is a gallery of children's drawings of the squid.

These French-language cephalopod posters are too damn good looking. Will you look at the colors on that poster? It's beautiful. I want it.



Clem, screaming "WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN'--"

 

[joel_ang]

Ah so thats where calamari came from... I wonder, does it stink even after the squid is in the sarcophagus?

 

[Burstsovenergy24]

:? Huh?

BOE, Neil, Carol, and Steve

 

[Jean]

Clem, screaming "WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN'--"

Clem,

My Dad always used to say, usually when one of us Kids had been whining all day "I want doesn't get"!

Nevertheless I

"WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN' IT WAN'--" too!!!!

J

 

[Burstsovenergy24]

 

[Clem]

Hmmm.

Just found a strange little film of the Biarritz Architeuthis. It's a black-and-white video of the squid lying in it's sarcophagus, with a sound track of ambient hospital noise. Dead simple and slightly creepy.

Biarritz Architeuthis In Hospital