First Colossal Squid Recorded on Camera

The colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamilton), we are informed by the conservation organization Oceana, is the largest invertebrate on Earth. They can measure as long as 46 feet and weigh 1,100 pounds.

The colossal squid is elusive and a challenging encounter for humans, as it lives in very deep oceanic waters. It was only recently, Scientific American reports, that scientists were able to record video footage of one. A robot launched from the research vessel Falkor found a juvenile colossal squid near the South Sandwich Islands, which are in the far southern Atlantic Ocean. This particular squid is only a foot long.

-via Dave Barry