The True Largest Cephalopod in the World

Initially, the Giant Squid Architeuthis was assumed to be the largest cephalopod in the world. Strangely enough, it it not the largest. In 2007, off Antarctica's Ross Sea, fishermen hauled in a toothfish (similar in appearance to the Cod) with a huge piece missing and was bearing large serrated sucker marks. About three or so hooks further down the line, they unveiled perhaps the largest squid bycatch in history. This bycatch became later known as the Colossal Squid. In the past only pieces of the animal have been found (such as the hooked limbs used to restrain and grasp its slippery prey). It is easy to understand how the Colossal Squid got its name. It is believed that at full adult size, a Colossal Squid could be up to 40 feet long. Thus, it would be the largest squid in the world "in terms of mass." It lives in the waters surrounding Antarctica.