This one's for Dev Dave

[econ21]

The BBC seems to share EA and DevDave's interest in giant squid; just following its links we have:

A captured colossal squid:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2910849.stm

A squid that resembles the aliens in Independence Day:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1723595.stm

And a rather sad squid that looks for all the world like an enormous rolled tortilla or pancake, about to be a petrel's breakfast:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/813394.stm

Venturing a little further afield, this site has some nice photos of the giant squid's "circular-saw-like sucker rings" and the colossal squid's "tentacle club with swiveling hooks":
http://www.tonmo.com/science/public/giantsquidfacts.php

And if the calamari ever ate the diner, it would be with a beak such as that shown here:
http://jwz.livejournal.com/182590.html

[English assassin]

The BBC seems to share EA and DevDave's interest in giant squid;

Naturally. As Sir Walter Scott nearly put it, "breathes there the man with soul so dead, Who never to himself hath said, Flipping heck, those giant squid are great"

Seriously, if anyone can think of a reason NOT to be interested in giant squid, I'd like to hear it. I can't remember if John Craven's Newsround had a giant squid correspondent (very possibly the space correspondent had to double up instead) but they should have.

[Gregoshi]

Of course there is also this unusual specimen.

[Goofball]

This thread inspired me. Immediately after reading it I headed to Golden Chopsticks (my favorite daytime Chinois place) for lunch and had squid with black bean sauce on steamed rice.

Deeeeeeeelicious!

[Kralizec]

I love squid as well.

The squid, which can measure over 2m (7ft) in length, deftly swim backwards and forwards by flapping their large, muscular fins. They are able to alter their direction rapidly by bending their flexible bodies.

....those muscular, yet flexible bodies....



did I type that or was
I just thinking it?

[InsaneApache]

Squid have bones?

[ajaxfetish]

Squid have bones?

Closest they've got is the 'pen,' a cartilaginous evolutionary remnant of a shell which helps provide stability and is located inside the main body cavity. AFAIK, the chambered nautilus is the only cephalopod to still retain an external shell.

Ajax

[Hosakawa Tito]

Squid have bones?

I believe the only thing approaching bone on a squid is the beak, made from keratin, like your fingernail.

Humbolt Squid
I watched a program on these a couple of months ago. They have been known to attack and kill humans. The fisherman who hunt them sometimes end up on the squid's menu.

[Crazed Rabbit]

If they want to get more kids interested in science, they need to teach more about the oldest grudge match in natural history: Sperm Whales vs Giant Squid.

How is that not totally awesome - two huge beasts going after each other deep beneath the surface.

CR

[English assassin]

If they want to get more kids interested in science, they need to teach more about the oldest grudge match in natural history: Sperm Whales vs Giant Squid.

How is that not totally awesome - two huge beasts going after each other deep beneath the surface.

CR

See? See? Peace in the backroom, all it took was squid. .

I too was fascinated by this very question when I was a kid, (I wanted the squid to win, probably because I had seen 20,000 leagues under the sea and had not seen Moby Dick Plus ten tentacles !! With suckers and sharp bits !! How can that not be cool?) very possibly this was what got me interested in biology in the first place.

I was very sad to find out that sperm whales pwn giant squid. Ha! But then they discovered the Collosal Squid Its Whales vs Squid 2, and this time the Squid mean business....

(BTW, I hope they haven't peaked too early with the squid adjectives. For my money I bet there are bigger and bigger squid waiting to be found, and I hope they don't get lumbered with being called "Absolutely **** off huge Squid" or "Even huger than the last huge squid we found Squid". That would be silly. )