Squid pulled from Antarctic may be the largest ever found

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - A fishing crew has caught a colossal squid that could weigh a half-ton and prove to be the biggest specimen ever landed.

The squid, about 39 feet long and weighing an estimated 990 pounds, took two hours to land in Antarctic waters, New Zealand Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton said yesterday.

The fishermen were catching Patagonian toothfish, sold under the name Chilean sea bass, south of New Zealand, "and the squid was eating a hooked toothfish when it was hauled from the deep," Anderton said.

The crew and a fisheries official on board the vessel estimated the length and weight of the squid. Detailed, official measurements have not been made. The date the colossus was caught also was not disclosed.

The frozen squid will be transported to New Zealand's national museum, Te Papa, in the capital of Wellington, to be preserved for scientific study.

Colossal squid are found in Antarctic waters and are not related to giant squid that live around the coast of New Zealand. Giant squid grow up to 39 feet long but are not as heavy as colossals.

Colossal squid, or Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, have long been among the most elusive and mysterious creatures of the deep. They are believed to grow up to 46 feet in length, can descend to 6,500 feet, and are active, aggressive hunters.

If original estimates are correct, the new catch would be more than 300 pounds heavier than the next biggest specimen.

"I can assure you that this is going to draw phenomenal interest," said Steve O'Shea, a squid expert at the Auckland University of Technology. "It is truly amazing."

If calamari were made from the squid, the rings would be the size of tractor tires, he added.

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