Radio Cadena Agramonte emisiora de Camagüey
United Kingdom, April 17. - A colossal squid was captured on video for the first time in the depths of the sea by an international team of researchers using a remotely operated submersible.
The Schmidt Ocean Institute announced the sighting on Tuesday.
The specimen captured was a young one about 30 centimeters (one foot) in length and the sighting occurred at a depth of about 600 meters in the south of the Atlantic Ocean. Adult colossal squid, which scientists have found in the stomachs of whales and seabirds, can reach up to seven meters (23 feet) long, similar to the size of a small fire truck.
The sighting occurred last month near the South Sandwich Islands during an expedition searching for new marine life. Researchers verified the species' identification with other independent scientists before publishing the images.
"I really love that we first saw a young colossal squid. This animal is so beautiful," said Kat Bolstad, a squid researcher at Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand, who participated in the confirmation.
Researchers are testing different cameras in the hopes of capturing an adult colossal squid, Bolstad added.
The young squid is almost completely transparent, with thin tentacles. Upon reaching adulthood, squid lose this glassy appearance and acquire a dark red or opaque purple color. Once fully developed, they are considered the largest invertebrate known. (Text and Photo: Cubasí)
