Colossal squid under the knife
28 Apr 2008
Te Papa’s colossal squid, caught in the Ross Sea and gifted to the museum in 2007, is scheduled for defrosting and examination on 30 April 2008.
Scientists from Auckland and Japan have been invited to lead the examination of the unique specimen, which weighs 495kg and is estimated to be six to eight metres long.
The squid will be removed from storage in a walk-in freezer and placed in a tank. The temperature will then be gradually raised over several days so the squid thaws out in a saline solution to prevent decay of the outer tissue while the inner sections are still frozen.
Once defrosted, scientists will have to work quickly or the specimen will begin to rot. They will determine its sex, before measuring it, examining its stomach contents, and taking tissue samples for DNA analysis.
Finally the specimen will be fixed in a formalin solution for three to four weeks, before being placed in a purpose-built tank for display at Te Papa in the latter quarter of 2008.
Interest in the colossal squid has been huge and while the general public won’t be able to access the confined space of the thawing and dissection laboratory, they will be able to watch through live webcams available from Te Papa’s and Discovery Channel’s websites. Natural History New Zealand will also be filming the entire process for a Discovery Channel documentary to be released worldwide in late 2008.
''It is rare to be able to study this kind of specimen up close. We hope scientists will be able to learn more about the colossal squid and provide valuable information for future research,'' says Paul Gasek, Senior Science Editor, Discovery Channel.
Colossal squid are found in Antarctic waters and are not related to giant squid found around the coast of New Zealand. A key difference is the sharp swivelling hooks the colossal squid has in the suckers at the tips of its tentacles, suggesting it is an aggressive hunter. The giant squid has suckers lined with small teeth.
Further information:
Paul Brewer
Director Marketing & Communications
Phone: +64 21 532 920 or +64 4 381 7023
paulb@tepapa.govt.nz
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