If you have a few extra hours to kill and have an intense passion for squid biology, well then we have something special for you. A colossal squid, not to be confused with a giant squid, was dissected on a live video stream for the whole world to see. The three hour long video covers a few details about the squid, its capture, and, of course, a nice look at its giant organs. The video was streamed live to internet audiences yesterday, September 16th, and the whole ordeal is still available to watch after the fact. We have so kindly embedded the video into the post (see above), and if you want to dive right into the action, fast forward to just after the six-minute mark.
The colossal squid was captured in Antarctica back in December 2013 by fisherman aboard the San Aspiring. It was taken ashore, frozen, and remained that way for 8 months before being dissected by a team of scientists in New Zealand.
While giant squid have been relatively well-documented, this is only the second in tact adult colossal squid to ever be seen. Interestingly enough, both this specimen and the previous were both caught by the San Aspiring, captained by John Bennett. Interestingly, this is the same ship that caught the other in tact colossal squid.
