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Colossal squid is seen live in the deep sea for the first time EVER - as baffled scientists spot the elusive creature in the South Atlantic Ocean READ MORE: Terrifying 'doomsday' fish found on beach in Canary Islands By JONATHAN CHADWICK FOR MAILONLINE Published: 11:14, 16 April 2025 | Updated: 11:17, 16 April 2025 e-mail View comments One of nature's mightiest beasts has never before been documented in its natural environment – until now. Scientists have captured the first ever footage of a live colossal squid – the largest invertebrate on the planet. The stunning 4K video film, captured in the deep sea by California 's Schmidt Ocean Institute, shows the rare creature's transparent body and eight pink tentacles.
Colossal squid can grow up to 23 feet (7 metres) and weigh as much as 500kg, making them the heaviest invertebrate on the planet. But this specimen, which looks like a delicate glass sculpture, is just a 'teenager' – measuring 11 inches (30cm). Dying colossal squid adults have previously been filmed by fishermen, but the species has never been seen alive at depth before.
Expedition chief scientist, Dr Michelle Taylor at the University of Essex, called the footage 'stunning' and 'beautiful'. 'The squid is a teenager and none have ever been filmed alive before in their natural habitat, juvenile or adult,' she told MailOnline. This is the first confirmed live observation of the colossal squid, Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, in its natural habitat The species can reach 23 feet (7 metres) in length, but this specimen is a baby - just 11 inches (30cm) Your browser does not support iframes.
'Adults likely shy away from remotely operated vehicles; we probably caught this teenager unawares and its response was to sit very still and hope we weren’t a predator.' It comes 100 years after the first colossal squid specimens were found and described in 1925 – based on specimens from the stomach of a hunted sperm whale. This incredible new sighting occurred on March 9 this year during an expedition near the South Sandwich Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean.
Schmidt Ocean Institute's remotely operated vehicle (ROV) SuBastian was at a depth of 1,968 feet (600 metres) as it was livestreaming the footage. However, those watching, including Dr Taylor, did not know the significance of what they were seeing on the screen. 'At the time, not being a squid expert and regrettably having none on board the ship, we did not realise that we had seen a colossal squid,' Dr Taylor told MailOnline.
'We knew it was a beautiful glass squid so paused on the descent to watch it; why would you not, it’s stunning.' Only later when a team of scientists including Dr Bolstad and Dr Aaron Evans, an independent squid expert, reviewed the footage could its identity be verified. The colossal squid was first described in 1925 based on specimens from the stomach of a commercially hunted sperm whale.
A century later, an international voyage captured the first confirmed video of this species in its natural habitat The remotely operated vehicle (ROV) SuBastian, which captured the historic footage, is recovered onto Research Vessel Falkor (too) Colossal squid can grow up to 23 feet (7 metres) and weigh as much as 500kg, making them the heaviest invertebrate on the planet Distinguishing characteristics of colossal squid are hooks on the ends of the two long tentacles and in the middle of each of the eight shorter arms. When they saw the arm hooks, Dr Evans 'started hyperventilating', he told a press briefing announcing the footage on Tuesday. Fortunately no attempts to catch the creature and bring it to shore were made, unlike other colossal squid specimens.
Back in 2007, the largest recorded colossal squid, a female, was captured by a New Zealand fishing boat in the Ross Sea off Antarctica. The squid was dying when it was captured and photographed before its corpse was taken back to New Zealand for scientific study. Dr Taylor said seeing a live specimen in its natural habitat is so important because we get to observe finally observe its biology and ecology.
'For example, see how it holds itself in the water column, how is moves, its behaviours – none of this is possible with dead specimens,' she said. As well as being the world's largest invertebrate, the colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) is the world's largest squid species and a member of the glass squid family (scientifically known as 'Cranchiidae'). A preserved colossal squid on display at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington Back in January, another expedition filmed the first confirmed footage of the glacial glass squid (Galiteuthis glacialis) in the Southern Ocean near Antarctica It is not to be confused with the giant squid (Architeuthis dux), which is similarly large and elusive but has been seen in its deep sea habitat before.
Read More Terrifying 'doomsday' fish found on beach in Canary Islands sparking fears of disaster Little is known about the colossal squid’s life cycle, but eventually, they lose the transparent appearance of the juveniles, as seen in this new clip. It comes shortly after the first confirmed footage of the glacial glass squid (Galiteuthis glacialis) in the Southern Ocean near Antarctica, taken in January. G.
glacialis is another glass squid species that has never been seen alive in its natural environment before – although adults only reach a maximum mantle length of 20 inches (50 cm). 'The first sighting of two different squids on back-to-back expeditions is remarkable and shows how little we have seen of the magnificent inhabitants of the Southern Ocean,' said Dr Jyotika Virmani, Schmidt Ocean Institute’s executive director. 'Fortunately, we caught enough high-resolution imagery of these creatures to allow the global experts, who were not on the vessel, to identify both species.
' The world's largest invertebrates Invertebrates are animals that neither develop nor retain a vertebral column (a spine or backbone). The largest living invertebrates (and most likely of all time) are two species of mega-squid. Based on length, the record holder is the giant squid (Architeuthis dux) which can grow to at least (42 ft 8 in (13 metres).
However, most of this length is in its tentacles with the main body (mantle) reaching up to 7 ft 5 in (2.25 metres). The heaviest entire specimen of giant squid on record was approximately 220 kg (485 lb).
Colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni), on the other hand, take the record based on weight. They have a similar-sized mantle (up to 8 ft 2 in/2.5 metres) but shorter tentacles.
The biggest intact colossal squid to date measured 17 ft 9 in (5.4 metres). Colossal squid are much heftier, weighing up to 495 kg (1,091 lb).
Source: Guinness World Records California New Zealand Graphics Share or comment on this article: Colossal squid is seen live in the deep sea for the first time EVER - as baffled scientists spot the elusive creature in the South Atlantic Ocean e-mail Add comment Comments 0 Share what you think No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. Add your comment Enter your comment By posting your comment you agree to our house rules .
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