Live Dissection of Colossal Squid

[BigRob]

It's a little weird and off the wall, but I thought I should share this in case people are interested. New Zealand's main museum has a specimen of a Colossal Squid, and they are dissecting it between now and Wednesday (that's Tuesday for you in the US). At the same time, they're running streaming video of the process over the internet, so if you're interested in looking at the workings of one of the world's rarer animals, check it out. They're not doing anything at the moment, as it's night in New Zealand now, so you should watch a few hours before this time tomorrow to catch the action (as such).

 

Colossal Squid-o Vision

[muffin-tacos]

That is really cool! One thing that has always amazed me is the wide variety of beautiful animals in New Zealand. I want to go there some day. Care to show me about, Rob?

 

(By the way, the quote by Douglas Adams made me squirt tea all over my screen. Too funny! )

[Jabor]

Oh yeah, New Zealand is awesome. I'm very pleased to live here, at least

 

Or at least, I will be post-election. But that's another discussion entirely.

 

~Jabor~

Hunting around for an appropriate avatar

[gertjanvh]

Live Dissection of Colossal Squid? Boy, do you know what turns me on

[BigRob]

There's nothing quite so sensual as a row of suckers, is there?

 

 

They're doing the beak now, I think... damn that thing is big when you see people standing next to it. [/geekerry]

 

 

That is really cool! One thing that has always amazed me is the wide variety of beautiful animals in New Zealand. I want to go there some day. Care to show me about, Rob?

 

Of course. As long as you don't getting violently lost outside of the few places I've managed to visit there.

 

Of course, it's a lot closer to walk for help if you're violently lost in NZ as compared to Oz...

 

(By the way, the quote by Douglas Adams made me squirt tea all over my screen. Too funny! )

All praise to Douglas, for he has summed up all creatures of my native land in one sentence.

[Miloch]

I wonder... is there good eating on one of those?

 

Seriously though, isn't this like a new species? One everyone knew existed but never caught, except on some shady videos?

[muffin-tacos]

They're doing the beak now, I think... damn that thing is big when you see people standing next to it. [/geekerry]

 

I know! It's kind of scary actually. I wouldn't like to meet one of those when I was out swimming happily in the ocean. Not that there's much chance of seeing any squid at all when you're out for a swim, because squid live in the depths of the sea, don't they? Well, I think they do anyway. Hmm..

 

Of course. As long as you don't getting violently lost outside of the few places I've managed to visit there.

 

Getting violently lost? Sounds just like me.

 

I wonder... is there good eating on one of those?

 

I've never really thought of eating a giant squid before. It's an interesting thought. Plenty of squid to go around on this one anyway. Aw, now I'm hungry.

[BigRob]

I wonder... is there good eating on one of those?

I think they have a lot of ammonia in their flesh (well Giant Squid do, not sure about these) so they'd need a lot of boiling to eat. Probaby be quite nice with some garlic butter though.

 

 

Seriously though, isn't this like a new species? One everyone knew existed but never caught, except on some shady videos?

Yeah, the Collossal squids were thought to be a different species from the Giant squids, but they've never got a specimen that wasn't completely mangled before, so they could never tell for certain. Hence all the excitement around this one, which was caught whole.

 

 

I know! It's kind of scary actually. I wouldn't like to meet one of those when I was out swimming happily in the ocean. Not that there's much chance of seeing any squid at all when you're out for a swim, because squid live in the depths of the sea, don't they? Well, I think they do anyway. Hmm..

 

Yep, the bigguns are deep sea animals, and almost never get seen at the surface. (unlike whales they're neutrally bouyant, so they don't float when they die). I think all the specimens they've got so far have been brought up by trawlers, or found in the stomachs of dead sperm whales.