The squid is at first glance a simple and even primitive creature. Its entire body consists of an oblong, boneless sac with internal organs and a large head, from which tentacles with suckers grow. Nevertheless, this inhabitant of sea waters is not so simple as it seems, and a lot of interesting things can be told about his life. Amazing facts about squid - a topic that is worth attention.
Squids live in the salty waters of almost the entire world's oceans - both in the hot tropics and in the icy Arctic. Some live near the surface, others - at depths of up to 2 km, where eternal pitch darkness reigns. The deeper their habitat, the larger their size. However, giant specimens could be seen and even caught close to the surface of the water.
The color of the mollusk can be different and depends on the habitat. How colder water, the paler it is, but there are both pink and bright blue varieties. Most species are able to change color when exposed to an electrical discharge, danger or other external factors on their body. Some of the deep-sea species can phosphorescent blue or purple light in the dark. The inhabitants of the northern seas are practically colorless, and completely transparent, "glassy" specimens were found at great depths. Only the insides and eyes remain opaque. If, in case of danger, such a squid does not have time to escape, then it freezes and takes in a huge portion of water, swelling like a ball.
In the surface layers warm seas there is a special species that has a tiny size and gathers in large flocks. They are completely unable to move independently and drift freely with the flow of the tides. Inside they have a cavity filled with ammonium chloride (ammonia). It is lighter than water, which keeps them always on the surface. Some deep-sea giant squids also have the same “floating in water” mechanism (neutral buoyancy). And in some small species, negative buoyancy is observed, so they are forced to constantly release jet streams, which makes their existence very energy-intensive.
Instead of hemoglobin, the blood of these mollusks contains hemocyanin with copper, which is why it has an aristocratic blue color. At the same time, they have three hearts that have a direct connection with three tentacles.
Squids have excellent vision, and their eyes are considered the largest on the planet. Among the specimens caught by man, the most impressive was a giant clam with eyes 40 cm in diameter. The lens of such an eye alone was the size of an orange, due to which it had the ability to pass a large number of light and see at great depths. At the same time, the structure and functioning of the eye apparatus is very similar to the human one, and in some respects it far exceeds it. Their eyes can be of different sizes, and are tuned to different light intensities, because of which they see perfectly at depth and even where a beam of light practically does not penetrate.
There is not a single bone in the body of a squid. When taken to dry land, they turn into formless flesh. Only the chitinous beak and the celluloid cartilage of the head are solid in the body. The mollusk has a brain and has a living intellect, is able to make lightning-fast and well-considered decisions. Their nerve fibers, which are known to determine the speed of the nervous system, are considered one of the thickest and exceed human ones by 100 times!
A special tube in the body plays the role of a siphon, capable of pushing them out with a powerful water jet, providing high speed of movement. The siphon is movable and can turn in any direction and even backward, thanks to which the mollusk easily changes the direction of movement. At the same time, the body is stretched into a thin torpedo, the tentacles are connected and pushed forward, and the “wings” wrap tightly around the body. At the same time, water resistance is minimal, and a marine animal can develop tremendous speed, while masterfully controlling its body.
There is a species of squid that, fleeing from enemies, are able to jump out of the water and fly several tens of meters. At the same time, they often fall “out of the fire and into the frying pan”, becoming the prey of birds of prey.
A variety of Octopoteuthis deletron, living at a depth of 800m, is notable for a very short period of male maturity. Without bothering to search, a representative of the species hangs its capsules with spermatozoa on the first individual that comes across, regardless of gender.
Squids do not have territories “assigned” to them. Leading an extremely mobile life, they can migrate great distances. Outside of spawning, the direction of their movement does not have a system, it seems that they swim wherever their eyes look. When the time for spawning comes, the speed reaches 70 km / h, and they swim away in a short time for thousands of kilometers.
Squids are omnivores, and the larger their size, the more varied the menu. Small plankton, other mollusks, all kinds of fish, they do not shun their own kind. Adult mollusks are happy to eat the younger generation of their own species. Giant individuals choose larger prey for themselves, and there are many cases when they attacked a person.
There is still no reliable information about whether there are mysterious krakens (grandiose squids or, in other opinion, octopuses) or whether they are mythical creatures that never existed on the planet. Movies have been made about them and fantastic stories have been written, but the question remains open. Theoretically, a large squid can harm a small vessel. But the picture in which he pierces the hull of the ship with a tentacle is completely devoid of credibility. Without a skeleton, these creatures can only squeeze, stretch and tear the victim, but not pierce it through. As for the fight against the caught giant on the deck, out of the water they are completely helpless.
Nevertheless, they are quite capable of dragging a person from a boat into the sea with the help of huge tentacles. So, researchers have already accumulated a lot of evidence about the mysterious Humboldt squid that lives in the Atlantic. The sea animal has huge size and is able to quickly change its color by opening and closing special pigment sacs (chromatophores) located in the thickness of the skin. If all chromatophores are closed, they become white, sometimes they can be dark green, but in anger or during danger, their color becomes bright red.
Historical fact. In 2011, a giant Humbold attacked a fishing boat near the resort of Loreto, which was witnessed by many as the ship sailed along the shore course in front of vacationers. Suddenly, thick tentacles appeared from the water and began to grab the fishermen and drag them into the water. Several of the bodies subsequently thrown ashore were completely covered with dark blue bruise spots left from powerful suction cups, and one of them was literally chewed up and looked little like a human body.
The squids themselves have many enemies, the main of which is the sperm whale, except for the person who has chosen them as a gastronomic delicacy. If a large squid (architeutis) meets with a sperm whale, a terrible battle is played out between them. In 99% of cases, the sperm whale wins, as a stronger animal. Therefore, the cephalopod tries to avoid this battle, releasing, like octopuses, an ink stain or fleeing.
Much has been written about the cephalopod smoke screen, but researchers continue to discover amazing facts. The squid is able to put up a real "dressing scene"! Seeing the danger, he can suddenly turn black, and then release the ink, while becoming completely colorless, and quickly flee. The spot released by him takes on its own shape, confusing the predator, which focuses on the "layout". And only when you touch this dark silhouette, it literally explodes in a dark cloud, leaving the enemy to wander in the dark. Leaving your own image instead of yourself, changing your outfit and quietly disappearing from the stage is a truly ingenious maneuver!
The coloring liquid, released in case of danger, not only "clouds the water", but also has a paralyzing effect on the olfactory system of fish. For some time after its impact, predators are not able to catch the scent of the prey, even if they come close to it. The action that paralyzes the olfactory nerve cells lasts about an hour. But this “drug” also acts on the cephalopods themselves. If a squid in captivity releases ink while in a confined space, if the concentration is exceeded, it can fall victim to its own weapons. People who came under the direct influence of camouflage paint talked about painting the entire underwater world in a wonderful amber color, which they managed to get rid of after a short time without harm to their eyesight.
The squid is well armed, and in addition to the ink bag. Its tentacles are equipped with hundreds of powerful suckers, and in some varieties they also have sharp, curved claws, like those of cats. He has no teeth, but there is a strong chitinous beak, which is quite capable of breaking through the shell of a crab or the backbone of a large fish.
The life of squids is strongly influenced by the moon. They migrate mainly at night, while the more clear it is, the more active the movement. Sometimes the lunar debt leads them to death - moving along it when entering small bays, a flock of thousands of squids can accelerate and fly ashore. However, sometimes they mistake the light of coastal lanterns for a moonlit path.
The life expectancy of medium-sized individuals is 1 year. It is difficult to confirm or refute this statement due to the difficulties of observation at great depths, but during the entire period of research, not a single specimen older than a year old was caught.
Squids mate quickly and without preludes. In fact, this is an interesting and complex process. During a short mating, the male places a spermatophore (tube-sac with sperm) on the female's body. In large specimens, they can reach a meter. This tube is not simple, but with its own mechanism for ejecting sperm, which includes a fuse-hair, a strong spring, and even a tube of glue that can glue living things to living things in water (a surgeon's dream!). The spermatophore comes out of the funnel at the bottom of the head, and in order to transfer it to the female and insert it where it is needed, there is either a penis or a modified tentacle-arm with special clamps. In a female, the right place can be in a variety of places, depending on the variety - under the beak, near the gills, on the inner surface of the mantle, and even on the back of the head. However, the male does not care where to stick his bag to unload - even on the back of his head, even on the tail. This is where his mission ends.
After leaving the body of the male, the spermatophore comes into contact with salt water, which starts the process. The outer shell explodes, water enters and activates the spring, which is thrown out along with the inner shell with sperm, hitting exactly the right place on the body of the female, where it immediately sticks and remains to wait for the spawning of eggs for their fertilization. Fast as short air battle. At the same time, the male is not worried about the sexual maturity of the female. Several months may pass before spawning, by that time the “happy father” may no longer be alive. The viability of seed material lasts up to 3 months.
The female squid gives birth once in a lifetime. After laying eggs, she dies, and her body floats to the surface and is washed ashore, where it becomes the prey of predatory coastal birds.
Since ancient times, myths have been circulating among people about giant monsters from the abyss, thirsting for the blood and flesh of traveler sailors. The unexplored depths of the ocean, which could not be conquered then, were the object and main cause of fictions, fairy tales and terrible tales concerning its mysterious inhabitants. It is worth saying that even today no one can say for sure that the planet's water space, the so-called abyss, has been studied to the end. Ancient records tell how monsters with huge tentacles from the depths of the sea attacked ships and galleys, taking them with them into the abyss. Those who managed to stay alive after the attack very often embellished their stories about unseen creatures, attributing fictional abilities to monsters and distorting them. appearance. Due to all the above factors, it was almost impossible to determine exactly who the wanderers were meeting with.
Today, the situation has changed somewhat, and much has become known to mankind about some of the unusual inhabitants of the seas and oceans. In the article, we would like to talk about the largest squid in the world, namely, to talk about their distinctive features, salient features species and give interesting and reliable facts about huge sea monsters.
Habitat of huge molluscs
It is known for certain that there are giant squids on earth that live in the depths of the waters of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. Also, these cephalopods can live in the seas, both warm and cold. People have repeatedly managed to catch individuals that could be called the largest squid in the world. Sometimes it even happened that the giant was cut by the propellers of the ship when he tried to attack. However, when such events first took place, mankind did not have the necessary equipment in order to study the features of the captured animal. Modern technologies allow you to thoroughly explore these living creatures and provide complete information about them.
Giant architeutis and the first mention of it
One of the largest inhabitants of the ocean depths is considered to be a giant squid, or architeutis, as it is called in scientific books. Individuals of this species prefer to be in temperate and subtropical latitudes of all 4 oceans. Giant squids live at a depth of several kilometers and only occasionally swim to the surface. The first mention of architeuthis occurs at the end of the 19th century. During another sea voyage in 1887, which took place off the coast of New Zealand, sailors discovered a strange and frightening creature. It was not difficult to notice it, because the storm waves of a huge clam simply threw it onto land. According to the data that the expedition was able to obtain on the spot, the size of the unusual find was amazing. The length of the monster's torso reached an incredible size - 17.5 meters, and 5 of them were only tentacles. The mantle of an adult was also by no means small - about 2 meters. Unfortunately, it was not possible to establish the exact weight of the sea monster at that time, but, judging by the given parameters, it was quite large.
A successful attempt to explore the huge dweller of the deep
The next individual, named one of the largest squid in the world, was discovered in Antarctica 120 years after the first mention of the sea monster. In 2007, fishermen caught a deep-sea dweller whose body reached 9 meters in length. At that time, the weight of the find was easily determined, because fishing tankers now have all the necessary equipment for weighing their catch right on board. The giant squid surprised the crew with its size, as its mass was just over 500 kilograms.
Terrifying Mesonichoteuthys
At present, it is known for certain that architeutis is far from the only species of inhabitants of the depths that frighten humanity with their dimensions. From time immemorial, there has been another representative of giant monsters of the cephalopod species, mesonichoteutis, on earth. This giant monster squid is considered one of the largest in our day. It can be called a close relative of the architeuthis, only it is much more majestic. Mesonichoteuthis is the only representative of its kind, because, unlike architeuthis, its weight is somewhat larger: only the mantle of adults reaches breathtaking dimensions - its length is four meters. By the way, another name for the giant is colossal.
The contents of the stomach of the sperm whale, which revealed new facts to science
The first records of mesonychoteuthys were made in the early 19th century. The British zoologist Robson examined the tentacles obtained from the stomach of a sperm whale caught in the southern islands of Scotland, and came to the conclusion that they could only belong to the aforementioned sea giant. Subsequently, for many years, no information was received regarding the cephalopod monster squid.
Great luck of scientists
A considerable period of time after the study of the tentacles of a sea monster by Robson, scientists discovered 4 eggs in the far Atlantic, presumably left by mollusks. Having studied their composition and origin, they came to the conclusion that the eggs really belong to a female squid of a rare species of mesonychoeuthys. Scientific data appeared in 1970, that is, almost 50 years after Robson's first experiment. The characteristics and features of the preserved masonry were carefully studied by experienced specialists of that time. And 9 years after research work managed to catch an adult specimen of mesonychoeuthys. The dimensions of her mantle were 117 cm long, and she was the female of the largest squid in the world.
Bloodthirsty and terrible kraken: fiction or reality?
There are legends about giant squids, whose history goes back to the distant past. Ancient navigators told fables about sea monsters that attacked ships, covered them with their tentacles and carried away all living things to the seabed. These mythical creatures at that time were nicknamed krakens. Until the end of the 16th century, they were considered fictional. However, after a while, mankind was convinced of the opposite, because the kraken washed up on the coast of Western Ireland was first found, and subsequently presented as an exhibit in the Dublin Museum. By the way, the kraken is the largest squid in the world that science knows today.
Distinctive features of the kraken
The giant mollusk differs from other oceanic inhabitants with a cylindrical head, on which something resembling a bird's beak is located. It is with them that he captures and grinds prey. The eyes of the kraken are considered the largest in comparison with the organs of vision of all other animals that live on planet Earth. Their diameter is 25 cm. The color of the creature changes depending on the location of the spirit: from dark green to blood red. The largest squid in the world and its peculiarity in the form of a spiked tongue, with which the mollusk pushes its prey into the stomach, inspires fear even in experienced sailors.
Giants attack people
It is worth noting the fact that the captain of the Norwegian fishing tanker Arne Grenningseter recently told the public amazing story, which touched a huge kraken. According to him, giants pose an incredible danger to people who have devoted their lives to fishing, or simply those who love to be in the sea. The fact is that his ship "Brunswick" was attacked several times by the aforementioned monster. The captain spoke about the tactics that the mollusk chooses to attack: he first floats to the surface of the water from the abyss, then accompanies the ship for a short time, as if waiting for a certain moment, and then emerges from the water with lightning speed and pounces on the ship. Only due to the fact that the tentacles of the cephalopod monster could not catch on the surface of the deck and the skin of the ship, the crew managed to escape and remain unharmed in an unequal battle.
Fixed values
If we talk about specific numbers that relate to the dimensions of huge underwater inhabitants, and answer the question about the size of the largest squid in the world (their body length), then it is worth disappointing the seekers of such information. To date, science has not established any specific values. Experts only assume that the length of the body of cephalopods living in the waters of the World Ocean and preferring its very bottom can exceed 50 meters.
Interesting facts about giant squid
There are some fascinating and real facts about the life of huge and frightening inhabitants of the deep. We list only the most interesting of them:
- Currently, a mammal is known that can attack one of the largest squid in the world (its name is architeutis) - this is a sperm whale. In the old days and to this day, real fights took place between the opponents, in which, as a rule, the sperm whale won. It was thanks to the contents of the stomach of a mammal that science was able to establish the very fact of the existence of a deep-sea giant.
- The first photos of an adult giant squid were made in Japan. Overgrown clam found on the surface ocean waters and dragged to the shore. It was not possible to keep the exclusive inhabitant of the marine fauna alive. The squid died within a day after removing it from the water. Today, the remains of this creature are kept in the Japanese Museum of Nature and Science.
- The "buoyancy" of the largest squids in the world, whose dimensions are really amazing, is carried out due to the content in their body of a solution of aluminum chloride, which has a lower density than sea water. Because of this property, which distinguishes it from other marine life with an air bladder, the deep-sea giant squid is unsuitable for human consumption.
- The age of squids is determined by their beak.
- Unlike other deep-sea inhabitants, the brain and nervous system of squids are unusually developed and still remain a mystery and the subject of research for scientists and specialists in this field.
- Despite their impressive size, giant squids can remain invisible to their prey. This is evidenced by the imprints of suckers on the bodies of whales subject to attacks by these monsters. Scientists have proven that architeutis, mesonichoteuthys and krakens lead a passive lifestyle. However, during the hunt for prey, they are active and resourceful.
- In anticipation of danger, the colossal squid releases a protective liquid that is deadly to humans and other sea creatures.
- About 20 liters of water will intervene in one sucker, which is located directly on the tentacles of a giant squid.
Results
In conclusion, I would like to say that it does not matter at all what the world's largest squid looks like. Stories told by sailors about giant krakens go back to the distant past. Only facts remain - irrefutable, reliable. But here's the paradox: some of them still remain a mystery to zoologists. Today, everyone knows only that giant squids are not fiction, but a reality that is covered with a veil of mystery.
Ecology
The brain is an amazing and, perhaps, the most mysterious organ, small biological computer, the center through which living beings receive commands for action.
Animal brains vary greatly by species and may be a small collection of nerve cells or complex and amazing system of neurons.
We invite you to discover the most interesting facts about the brain of animals and humans which may surprise you.
Spider brain
Brain spiders sometimes so big that displaces other organs, which in some cases can move to the lower extremities. Smithsonian tropical Research institute made this discovery while studying the nervous system of the smallest spider in the world. His brain takes 80 percent cavity of his body.
Scientists have found that the smaller the animals, the more their brain in proportion to the rest of the body. For example, the human brain is only 2-3 percent from the total body weight. E of some small ants the brain occupies 15 percent, and tiny spiders have even more.
Brain of leeches
leeches may seem to you unattractive and even disgusting living creatures that are able to stick to the skin of a person or animals and suck their blood. This property of leeches is often used in alternative medicine, for example, it helps to clean infected wounds.
It is undeniable that leeches are amazing creatures, because they have 5 pairs of eyes, 300 teeth and ..32 brains! However, technically they have one brain, which consists of 32 ganglions, which are actually separate brains.
Small brain of giant squid
giant squid when eating, they bite off relatively small pieces of food, since when swallowing food must pass through them donut shaped brain and only then enter the esophagus. Such a gigantic creature has the biggest eyes among all the creatures on the planet, however, his brain is surprisingly small.
The male giant squid uses its 15 gram brain to coordinate his 150-kilogram body. The length of this giant reaches 10 meters, and its sexual organ reaches 1.5 meters in length.
cordyceps feeds on some non-vital organs of the ant, entangling the brains of poor insects with their threads, causing the ants to climb the tops of the plants. After some time, the fungus kills the ant and sprouts as a fungus from its head. Typical horror movie plot.
The smallest insect nervous system
tiny wasp kind Megaphragma mymaripenne smaller than unicellular amoeba, despite the fact that she has body parts such as eyes, brain, wings, genitals and digestive system.
Researchers have found that she has smallest nervous system of all known insects. The head of a wasp contains a relatively small number of neurons when it is a larva, but later, when the wasp becomes an adult, the number of neurons further reduced, as they do not have enough space in her small head. However, she does not need a lot of brains: adults live no more than 5 days.
brain of worms
tiny brain worms kind C. elegans nematode consists of only 302 neurons, however, despite this fact, it has the same functions as the nervous system of other more complex organisms.
Scientists study amazing features brain of roundworms to understand the underlying mechanisms more complex animal behavior. Perhaps this will help reveal some of the secrets of the human brain.
tunicates eat their own brains
hullers- bag-like hermaphrodite creatures that cling to corals and filter their food in marine fashion. They produce offspring that look like tadpoles, which disperse in the water in search of new homes.
In the larval stage, tunicates have the same anatomical characteristics, like fish, birds, reptiles and even mammals, but as they grow older they lose their brain and become literally "brainless".
They digest their own nerves, which are responsible for the movement, which they no longer need, since for the rest of their lives the tunicates lead a motionless lifestyle.
fish brain
The claim that women are dumber than men has long been recognized as false, but in one species of marine life this idea has a real basis. Brain fish family stickleback living in the lake Mivan in Iceland, has significant differences in size depending on gender.
Scientists believe that this disparity may be due to the fact that males are required to use more brain power, as they compete with each other, build nests, care for females during the mating season, and even take care of eggs. Females only mate and spawn.
bird brain
Many have long wondered how woodpeckers succeed not damage the brain while foraging, because they do not strike with their beak on the hard surfaces of tree trunks with such force.
Like many bird species, woodpeckers have complex skulls made up of tiny and very light bones. The weight of the skull of an average bird is no more than 1 percent of her total body weight. Woodpeckers have a built-in defense mechanism called an air sac that softens blows and protects the brain.
Big brain of dogs
Dog breed King Charles Spaniel They have a friendly character and a sweet appearance, for which they are widely used. However, in the process of breeding this breed, it turned out that dogs have one serious problem: many representatives began to manifest a disease in which Animal brains were too big to fit in their small heads..
According to one veterinarian, it's like trying to fit your foot into a boot that's a few sizes too small. The disease takes lives about one third of the dogs of this breed Moreover, the poor animals suffer greatly from headaches.
The amazing brain of a crow
corvidae a family of birds that includes crows, rooks, jackdaws, jays and magpies. These birds are known to be quite smart, and their level of intelligence is sometimes can be compared with the intelligence of primates.
Their extraordinary memory, ability to reason logically and the ability to use tools surprised scientists a lot. These birds are capable of using tools such as sticks to get to the tasty larvae. Such abilities among animals have chimpanzee.
Birds also know how to hide food from prying eyes, but sometimes they can make false hiding places: they pretend that they are hiding something, to confuse thieves who want to feast on other people's stocks.
Dolphin brain
Did you know that the brain of a dolphin is actually more brain human? bottlenose dolphin, for example, can recognize, remember and solve problems, which makes it the closest creature on our planet in terms of intelligence to a person.
New cerebral cortex dolphin is more complex than that of a person, it endows dolphins with self-awareness, that is, they able to think realistically and not just act on instinct.
human brain
Man belongs to the kingdom animals, however, as you know, we are too different from other representatives of the animal world, in particular we have a unique brain.
It is well known that the human brain is more developed than the brains of its closest primate relatives. But we ourselves can not fully understand its complexity and versatility. The brain uses about 20 per cent the total amount of oxygen in our body, it can process information very quickly, and each part of it has separate functions.
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