Cephalopod · squid

Giant warty squid

Moroteuthopsis longimana (formerly Kondakovia longimana)

PacificAtlanticIndianSouthernArctic A single ocean

Depth

From the surface down to about 1,000 m

Size

Mantle up to at least 74 cm, record of 2.3 m in total

Diet

Mainly krill, also fish, crustaceans and squid

Zone

Twilight zone · 200 – 1,000 m

Key facts

• Its tentacles bear about 33 hooks each, in addition to small suckers.
• In large individuals, the skin of the mantle is covered with ridges.
• The sleeper shark of Kerguelen waters hunts this large squid.

And the sperm whale?

Its beaks have been found in the stomachs of many sperm whales. Each squid eaten is estimated to have weighed about 23 kg.

Verified sources

1. Tree of Life : Kondakovia longimana
2. Clarke & MacLeod 1982, céphalopodes dans l’estomac de cachalots (Museums Victoria)
3. Cherel & Duhamel 2004, Antarctic jaws : céphalopodes proies des requins à Kerguelen (MNHN)
4. Wikipédia : Moroteuthopsis longimana (point de départ)

In the game: Prey: +10 points

In the same zone

Ice anemoneEdwardsiella andrillae Black prince copepodGaussia princeps Crystal amphipodCystisoma sp. Müller’s pearlsideMaurolicus muelleri Oceanic lightfishVinciguerria nimbaria Swordtail squidChiroteuthis calyx