List of Colossal Squid specimens and sightings

This list of Colossal Squid specimens and sightings is a listing of recorded specimens of "Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni", popularly known as the Colossal Squid.

Number of specimens

According to Xavier "et al." (1999), geographical positions for 188 "Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni" specimens caught by commercial and scientific fisheries were known as of 1999.

List of Colossal Squid

Records are listed chronologically in descending order and numbered accordingly.

*Date – Date on which the specimen was first captured, found, or observed. In cases where this is unknown, the date the specimen was first reported is listed instead.
*Location – Area where the specimen was found. Given as it appears in the cited references, except where additional information is provided in brackets.
*Oceanic sector – The quadrant of a major ocean in which the specimen was found (see Oceanic sectors).
*Method of capture – Method by which the specimen was recovered or observed. Given as it appears in the cited references, although "washed ashore" encompasses all stranded animals.
*Identification – Species or genus level taxon to which the specimen was originally assigned. Given as it appears in the cited references. Listed chronologically if specimen was re-identified.
*Material cited – Original specimen material that was recovered or observed.
*Material saved – Material that was kept after examination and not discarded (if any).
*Sex – Sex and sexual maturity of the specimen.
*Size and measurements – Data relating to measurements and counts. Abbreviations used are based on standardised acronyms in teuthology (see Measurements), with the exception of several found in older references.
*Repository – Institution in which the specimen material is kept. The acronyms used are those defined by Leviton "et al." (1985) and Leviton & Gibbs (1988) (see Repositories). Where the acronym is unknown, the full repository name is listed.
*Cited references – Sources that provide specific data on a particular specimen.
*Additional references – Sources which merely refer to the specimen.
*Notes – Miscellaneous information.

Note: Names of anatomical features are retained from original sources (e.g. "jaws" may be given instead of the preferred "beak").

Abbreviations

The following abbreviations are used in the "List of Colossal Squid" table.

Oceanic sectors

"M. hamiltoni" has a circumpolar Antarctic distribution.

*SWA, Southwest Atlantic Ocean
*SEA, Southeast Atlantic Ocean
*SWP, Southwest Pacific Ocean
*SEP, Southeast Pacific Ocean
*SIO, Southern Indian Ocean

Measurements

Abbreviations used for measurements and counts are based on standardised acronyms in teuthology, primarily those defined by Roper & Voss (1983), with the exception of several found in older references.

*ED, egg diameter
*EL, "entire" length (end of tentacle(s), often stretched, to posterior tip of tail; in contrast to WL, measured from end of "arms" to posterior tip of tail)
*EyD, eye diameter
*FL, fin length
*FW, fin width
*HL, head length (most often base of arms to edge of mantle)
*HW, head width
*LD, lens diameter
*LRL, lower rostral length of beak
*ML, mantle length (used only where stated as such)
*WL, "whole" length (end of arms, often damaged, to posterior tip of tail; in contrast to EL, measured from end of "tentacles" to posterior tip of tail)
*WT, weight

Repositories

Institutional acronyms are those defined by Leviton "et al." (1985) and Leviton & Gibbs (1988). Where the acronym is unknown, the full repository name is listed.

*NMNH, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, District of Columbia, United States

=

The number directly below each image corresponds to the specimen or sighting, in the "List of Colossal Squid", that the image depicts. The date on which the specimen was first captured, found, or observed is also given.

References

The following references are cited in the "List of Colossal Squid" table.

* [Anonymous] 2005. [http://www.sgisland.org/pages/main/news23.htm Very Rare Giant Squid Caught Alive] . "South Georgia Newsletter", June 2005.
* [Anonymous] 2007a. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6385071.stm NZ fishermen land colossal squid] . BBC News, February 22, 2007.
* [Anonymous] 2007b. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6478801.stm Microwave plan for colossal squid] . BBC News, March 22, 2007.
*Anderton, H.J. 2007. [http://www.beehive.govt.nz/ViewDocument.aspx?DocumentID=28451 Amazing specimen of world's largest squid in NZ] . New Zealand Government website.
*Atkinson, K. 2008a. [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10499385 NZ Antarctic voyagers return with scientific treasure trove] . "The New Zealand Herald", March 20, 2008.
*Atkinson, K. 2008b. [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=82&objectid=10507295 Size matters on 'squid row' (+photos, video)] . "The New Zealand Herald", May 1, 2008.
*Black, R. 2008. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7374297.stm Colossal squid's big eye revealed] . BBC News, April 30, 2008.
*Cherel, Y. & G. Duhamel 2004. PDFlink| [http://www.cephbase.utmb.edu/refdb/pdf/8114.pdf Antarctic jaws: cephalopod prey of sharks in Kerguelen waters.] |531 KiB "Deep-Sea Res I" 51:17-31.
*Clarke, M.R. 1986. "A Handbook for the Identification of Cephalopod Beaks". Clarendon Press, Oxford, 273 pages.
*Ellis, R. 1998. "The Search for the Giant Squid". The Lyons Press, 322 pages.
*Griggs, K. 2007. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6453997.stm Colossal squid's headache for science] . BBC News, March 15, 2007.
*ru icon Klumov, S.K. & V.L. Yukhov 1975. "Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni" Robson, 1925 (Cephalopoda, Oegopsida). "Antarktika Doklady Komission" 14:159-189. [English translation: TT 81-59176, Al Ahram Center for Scientific Translations.]
*ru icon Korabelnikov, L.V. 1959. The diet of sperm whales in the Antarctic seas. "Priroda" 3:103-104, 5 figures.
*Leviton, A.E. & F.H. Gibbs Jr. 1988. Standards in herpetology and ichthyology. Standard symbolic codes for intitutional resource collections in herpetology and ichthyology. Supplement No. 1: Additions and corrections. "Copeia" 1988(1):28-228.
*Leviton, A.E., F.H. Gibbs Jr., E. Heal & C.D. Dawson 1985. Standards in herpetology and ichthyology: Part I. Standard symbolic codes for intitutional resource collections in herpetology and ichthyology. "Copeia" 1985(3):802-832.
*McSweeny, E.S. 1970. Description of the juvenile form of the Antarctic squid "Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni" Robson. "Malacologia" 10:323-332.
*Robson, G.C. 1925. On "Mesonychoteuthis", a new genus of oegopsid, Cephalopoda. "Annals and Magazine of Natural History", Series 9, 16:272-277.
*Rodhouse, P.G. & M.R. Clarke 1985. Growth and distribution of young "Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni" Robson (Mollusca: Cephalopoda): an Antarctic squid. "Vie Milieu" 35(3/4):223—230.
*Roper, C.F.E. & G.L. Voss 1983. Guidelines for taxonomic descriptions of cephalopod species. "Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria" 44:49-63.
*ru icon Yukhov, V.L. 1974. The discovery of giant squids. "Priroda", Moscow, 1974(6):60-63, 3 figures.
*Voss, N.A. 1980. A generic revision of the Cranchiidae (Cephalopoda; Oegopsida). "Bull. Mar. Sci." 30:365-412.
*Xavier, J.C., P.G. Rodhouse, P.N. Trathan & A.G. Wood 1999. PDF|1= [http://www.journals.cambridge.org/production/action/cjoGetFulltext?fulltextid=219642 A Geographical Information System (GIS) Atlas of cephalopod distribution in the Southern Ocean.] "Antarctic Science" 11:61-62. [http://www.nerc-bas.ac.uk/public/mlsd/squid-atlas/ online version]