A Giant Squid Arrives in New York

Tank

On Wednesday, June 10, 1998 the world's best-preserved giant squid specimen arrived at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City from New Zealand.

The frozen squid body came in a refrigerated truck from Kennedy International Airport, in a crate marked "seafood," and thawed overnight in a large, sealed tank. This was the first-ever delivery of a giant squid to New York City.

Investigating the squid
After Museum scientists examined the 200-pound male squid, they began injecting it with a preservative called formalin to keep the soft tissue from decaying.

Scientists have never had a chance to study a giant squid in such good condition. The research they will conduct will help us understand giant squid biology much more, but the search is still on to catch a glimpse of a live giant squid in its deep-sea habitat.



Photos courtesy of Portia Rollings,
American Museum of Natural History

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