Scientists photograph giant squid

[MIKE BURN]

edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/09/27/japan.squid.ap/index.html



Scientists photograph giant squid



Wednesday, September 28, 2005 Posted: 0835 GMT (1635 HKT)



TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- Japanese scientists have photographed for the first time in the wild a live giant squid, one of the most mysterious creatures of the deep sea.



The team, led by Tsunemi Kubodera from the National Science Museum in Tokyo, tracked the 8-meter (25-foot) long Architeuthis as it attacked prey at 900 meters deep off the coast of Japan's Bonin islands.







"We believe this is the first time a grown giant squid has been captured on camera in its natural habitat," said Kyoichi Mori, a marine researcher who co-authored a piece on the finding in the Royal Society Journal, a leading British biological publication.



The camera was operated by remote control during research at the end of October 2004, Mori told The Associated Press on Wednesday.



Mori said the squid, which was purplish red like smaller squid, attacked its quarry aggressively, calling into question the image of the animal as lethargic and slow moving.



"Contrary to belief that the giant squid is relatively inactive, the squid we captured on film actively used its enormous tentacles to go after prey," Mori said.







"It went after some bait that we had on the end of the camera and became stuck, and left behind a tentacle six meters long, " Mori said.



Kubodera, also reached by the AP, said researchers ran DNA tests on the tentacle and found it matched those of other giant squids found around Japan.

MIKE


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[markhewer]

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That's facsinating! It's a whole other world beneath the surface isn't it? It's kinda like outer space only wetter.

Follow your dreams!



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