page_title: Colossal squid
section_title: Feeding
hierarchical_section_title: Colossal squid / Behavior / Feeding
caption_attribution_description: English: Beak of the Colossal squid Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, Amundsen Sea, Antarctica
context_page_description: The colossal squid is part of the family Cranchiidae. It is sometimes called the Antarctic squid or giant cranch squid and is believed to be the largest squid species in terms of mass. It is the only recognized member of the genus Mesonychoteuthis and is known from only a small number of specimens. The species is confirmed to reach a mass of at least 495 kilograms, though the largest specimens—known only from beaks found in sperm whale stomachs—may perhaps weigh as much as 600–700 kilograms, making it the largest-known invertebrate. Maximum total length has been estimated at 9–10 metres.
  This species shares anatomy similar to other members of its family although it is the only member of Cranchiidae to display hooks on its arms and tentacles. It is known to inhabit the circumantarctic Southern Ocean. Although little is known about the behavior, it is known to use bioluminescence to attract prey. Additionally, it is presumed to be an ambush predator, and is a major prey of the sperm whale.
  The first specimens were discovered and described in 1925. In 1981, an adult specimen was discovered, and in 2003 a second specimen was collected.
context_section_description: Little is known about the behavior of this creature, but it is believed to feed on prey such as chaetognatha, large fish such as the Patagonian toothfish, and smaller squid in the deep ocean using bioluminescence. A recent study by Remeslo, Yakushev and Laptikhovsky revealed that Antarctic toothfish make up a significant part of the colossal squid's diet; of the 8,000 toothfish brought aboard trawlers between 2011 and 2014, seventy-one showed clear signs of attack by colossal squid. A study in Prydz Bay region of Antarctica found squid remains in a female colossal squid's stomach, suggesting the possibility of cannibalism within this species.
caption: The beak of a colossal squid
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