Here are the images released of the first-ever observations of a live adult giant squid:
Giant Squid
The researchers who are interpreting the images say they show an active, attacking predator, not the passive "ambush" predator some experts had thought Architeuthis dux to be. The squid, estimated at about 8 meters long, left a 5.5m tentacle behind, snagged on the baited camera trap, to confirm its specific identity. A. dux has been proven to reach 17m and might be considerably larger.
This is a terrific accomplishment by Japanese researchers Tsunemi Kubodera and Kyoichi Mori, of the National Science Museum and the Ogasawara Whale-Watching Association, respectively.
Richard Ellis, author of the most thorough book on the species, said, "This has been a mystery for a thousand years. Nobody knew what they looked like in the wild. These images will open the door to more detailed study of their life."
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