Giant warty squid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Giant warty squid |
|
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification |
The giant warty squid, also known as the longarm octopus squid, is a really big type of hooked squid. It can grow to have a main body (called the mantle) that is at least 85 centimeters long, and probably even over 1.15 meters! The biggest complete giant warty squid ever found was 2.3 meters long in total. It was discovered in Antarctica in the year 2000.
Contents
What Does the Giant Warty Squid Look Like?
This squid is quite large. Adult giant warty squids can have a main body (mantle) that is up to 740 millimeters long. A cool feature of this squid is that it has 33 hooks and small suckers all along its tentacle clubs when it's a subadult.
Inside its body, this squid has a stiff, feather-shaped internal shell called a gladius. You can't see this gladius from the outside, as it's hidden under the skin on its back. The giant warty squid also has three special folds on its neck area.
Where Does the Giant Warty Squid Live?
The giant warty squid lives in the Southern Ocean. It can be found in both the epipelagic (sunlit surface waters) and mesopelagic (twilight zone) parts of the ocean. Its home range might go all the way around the South Pole, covering both Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic areas. This means you could find it as far north as places like South Georgia and the Tasman Sea.
What Does the Giant Warty Squid Eat and Who Eats It?
The giant warty squid is an important part of the food web in the Southern Ocean. Many different animals like to eat it!
Who Eats the Giant Warty Squid?
Some of its main predators include:
- Sharks: Especially sleeper sharks and porbeagles. These sharks eat a lot of squid, with the giant warty squid making up a big part of their diet.
- Albatrosses: These large seabirds also hunt and eat the squid.
- Sperm whales: These huge whales are known for diving deep to find and eat squid.
- Penguins: Some types of penguins also include this squid in their meals.
What Does the Giant Warty Squid Eat?
The giant warty squid itself is a hunter. Its main food source is krill, which are tiny shrimp-like creatures found in huge numbers in the Southern Ocean. Scientists have also found clues that the giant warty squid might eat other animals that are higher up in the food chain, such as other types of crustaceans and small fish like lanternfish.
See also
