wondering how to find more info on giant squid, etc

[squidkid]

I am posting in behalf of my 5 1/2 year old son who can not read but is OBSESSED with learning about giant squid. We have perused several websites and learned more, however, it is not enough to satisfy his great learning curiosity. I was wondering if there were any documentary type videos available for purchase about giant squid (or other cepholopods)...or any good books (not children's books but reasearch type books) that would include pictures.

Steve O'Shea- we just got done reading about your trip to collect giant squid larvae and my son was so THRILLED to hear someone is trying to raise them in captivity (he plans on having the first full-grown giant squid on exhibit in his zoo/aquarium some day) ....although he hopes you do not beat him to it!!! By any chance did you get some pictures of the baby squid you'd be willing to share?

 

[Steve O'Shea]

Re: wondering how to find more info on giant squid, etc

I .... he plans on having the first full-grown giant squid on exhibit in his zoo/aquarium some day) ....although he hopes you do not beat him to it!!! By any chance did you get some pictures of the baby squid you'd be willing to share?

The race is on! Actually, I had intended to head into larval giant squid country this Thursday (4 days away), but the weather here has been nothing short of bad, real bad, I mean like quite disgusting even (11 metre seas, 180 km/hr winds ... right where I wanted to go)!

So, plans have had to change; I'm still heading off, but the location is not my first choice, and there are three places that I'm presently considering, weather permitting. So the young fella might have a chance yet.

There are a ton of images of and text pertaining to Architeuthis distributed throughout the site; you could spend a month reading through all of the information now online. Please feel free to use them.
Kindest
Me

 

[neptune]

Welcome to Tonmo the Squidkid and his translator. I am going to have fun watching this happen.

 

[mcatee123]

i think steve is ahead in the race hes kept or so ive heard baby giant squids for 125 days so far

 

[Whitey]

... and by the way, what the hell is that?

Hi everybody,
Been away from here for a looooooong time, due to problems I should have been glad to avoid, but well... glad to be back, and that's all!
Ahem, no, that's NOT all!!!
Steve (especially), please could you let me know what is this? I mean the squid on the picture in the hereunder link :

http://images.news.com.au/thedailytelegraph/914661_squid.jpg

I'm getting a little bit confused. First with the little (non-existing?) esposure of such a so-called "event", then with the feeling of [/i]déjà vu, then again with the critter itself : I first thought "OK, guys, this simply is our old friend Dosidicus Gigas." Then I don't believe it's a jumbo squid. And finally the photograph unfortunately is very low resolution... and I'm intellectually very tired for the time being! So I badly need help.

Hereunder is the text which goes together with the pic :

By SIMON BENSON Environment Editor
Article:
http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story.jsp?sectionid=1260&storyid=914660

February 18, 2004

THIS is no ordinary squid. Lurking in the dark depths of the Southern Ocean, it gives a first glimpse of what lies in areas never before explored.
And the image was somewhat of a fluke. The squid attached itself to a probe sent down by scientists, activated the camera shutter and snapped a picture of itself.

"The squid somehow managed to cling to the equipment encasing the camera and activated the shutter, taking this gorgeous picture of itself," an
Australian Antartic Division spokesman said.

"It's taken at around 100m depth in the waters around Heard Island."

For the first time, a new world has been uncovered beneath the waters of the sub-Antarctic Heard Island through a marine research program aboard the Antarctic research vessel Aurora Australis.
Expedition leader, biologist Dick Williams, said pictures revealed a diverse
array of animals on the sea floor.
They included commercial species such as the patagonian toothfish and
mackerel icefish. Also shown are octopus and spectacular gardens of feather stars, sea anemones and soft corals.
"This is the first time scientists have been able to look deep into this
part of the Southern Ocean, the world's most powerful ocean," he said.
"Our use of this equipment was really a test run to see if it would do what
we wanted.
"Until now we've only been able to guess at what it might look like, so
we're thrilled by the pictures of these bottom-dwelling invertebrates and
fish in their natural habitats."

 

[Whitey]

Oooooops...

"Intellectually tired"? Indeed, it seems!
First I type Dosidicus Gigas thinking Morotheuthis Robusta, second I don't even notice all this is being discussed in another forum for a couple of days...
OK, I'm gonna take some rest for a few hours right now! :sleeping:

 

[Whitey]

... Re-ooooooops!

... and then I type Robusta when thinking Robsoni!!! Alzheimer? I'm not THAT old...
Well, G-R-E-A-T come back! Let's call it a day...

 

[NickA5582]

i think steve is ahead in the race hes kept or so ive heard baby giant squids for 125 days so far

They're Sepioteuthis, to TONMO, SquidKid!

 

[Tintenfisch]

Re: ... Re-ooooooops!

... and then I type Robusta when thinking Robsoni!!!

Don't worry, I do that all the time. There should be a rule about species names within a single genus being required to start with different syllables. However, the squid in the photo didn't look warty, which M. robsoni definitely is. Good size though - I have some specimens here in buckets which I haven't fully examined yet, but look to be M. robsoni and are up to 790 mm mantle length!

 

[squidkid]

thank you for all the welcomes.

Steve (or Dr. O'shea?) - I will definitly examine the site more fully to see what I can find and what my son and I can learn. Good luck on your next trip! Hope the weather cooperates for you!