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A Gigantic Discovery
In 1997, fishermen off the coast of New Zealand caught something unexpected in their nets: a giant squid. The 200-pound male squid was frozen and flown to New York City in a crate labeled "seafood." It was thawed and taken to the American Museum of Natural History, where scientists soaked it in, and injected it with, a preservative called formalin to keep the tissue from decaying. Never before had researchers studied a squid in such good condition. This exciting discovery will help scientists learn more about this mysterious creature of the sea.
OLOGY CARD 192
Series: Animal
giant squid
The giant squid is the largest invertebrate, or animal without a backbone, ever to have lived on Earth! It can grow up to 60 feet long, so it's hard to believe that a giant squid has never been seen alive until 2006. For centuries, scientists have had to piece together facts about the giant squid from parts that washed ashore or were pulled in by fishing nets. This mysterious creature is a relative of snails.
Image credits: main image, © AMNH/Eric Hamilton.