Colossal+Squid


 * Phyla:** Mollusca


 * Class:** Cephalopoda


 * Common Name:** Colossal Squid
 * Scientific Name:** //Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni//

- Length: Can grow to be 35 ft long. Some scientists think that the Colossal Squid can actually grow larger than this, like 45 ft long. - Weight: Can weigh as much as 1,000 lbs. Due to scientists thinking that the Colossal Squid can be larger than what was thought of before, the squids could be heavier than this.
 * Size:**
 * Habitat:** The Colossal Squid lives in multiple depths of the ocean, with the juveniles being found anywhere from the surface to 1,000 meters below the surface. Adults are usually found in the lower depths of the ocean. The waters that they are usually found in are colder waters, such as Antarctica, New Zealand, and some areas of Africa.


 * Living Requirements:** Due to their enormous size, the Colossal Squid eats a large amount of fish. They are very powerful so they don't have any trouble capturing and consuming large fish.


 * Life Cycle:** Like other molluscs, the Colossal Squid starts out in life as an egg. After that, it is not known whether the female Colossal Squid takes care of the young or not, since we cannot view them in their natural habitats. After growing up, the juveniles can be found anywhere from the surface of the ocean to 1,000 meters below the surface, which makes it easier to study. Once they are adults they are usually found in the deepest depths of the ocean, which makes studying the mature squids very hard.


 * Differences between Males and Females:** One of the differences between a male Colossal Squid and a female Colossal Squid is the fact that a male has male reproductive organs while the female has female reproductive organs. And another difference is that female Colossal Squids are larger than the male.

- Due to its size, the Colossal Squid is the largest species of squid and the largest species of molluscs alive today. - Since it lives so deep in the ocean, it is very hard to study the behavior of the Colossal Squid, but scientists think that the squid is a loner and eats a lot of fish. - They are known to get into fights with Sperm Whales, leaving scars on the whales due to their beaks and their tentacles. - The Colossal Squid, in comparison to the Giant Squid, has on its tentacle clubs swiveling hooks, which they can use to latch onto a Sperm Whale in a fight. The Giant Squid, on the other hand, has circular-saw-like suction cup rings on its tentacle clubs. Human Impact on the Organism: Due to the depths at which the mature squids live at, not a lot of information as to the status of the species can be inferred since even with our technology we can't go down to the depths at which they live at.
 * Interesting Facts:**

Zookeeper: Riley Stewart Content retrieved from: [] [] [] Images retrieved from: [] []