A colossal squid, the large species of the world, was filmed and photographed in its natural habitat for the first time since scientists discovered it about a century ago. The crew members on board a research vessel at the South Atlantic Ocean recorded the video on March 9, said the non -profit organization Schmidt Ocean Institute, owner of the ship.
The operated vehicle of the crew remotely facilitated the sighting, which occurred at about 2,000 feet under the surface of the waters around the South Sandwiches Islands, a volcanic archipelago located between the tip of South America and the Antarctica. The unprecedented images of the elusive deep water creature occurred 100 years after it was initially identified and a name was given, according to the institute.
As its nickname suggests, the color can grow to be huge, and some finally weigh up to 1,100 pounds and measure more than 20 feet, according to the Schmidt Ocean Institute. That is the height of a multi -story building. The squid trapped in the video in the South Atlantic was a youth and much narrower than an adult adult, with the research team that placed its size around 11 inches long.
Ocean Schmidt Institute 
“It is exciting to see the first in Sitage images of a youthful and humble colossal to think that they have no idea that humans exist,” said Kat Bolstad, professor and researcher at the University of Technology of Auckland in New Zealand, whose crew consultation. “For 100 years, we have found them mainly as prey that remains in the stomach of whale and the coast and as predators or dental fish harvested.”
The expedition occurred with a duration of a 35 -day trip where researchers sought to find a new marine life, according to the Schmidt Ocean Institute.
Colossal Squid belongs to the family of “glass squid”, a group of approximately 60 squid species that won that label because or their transparent bodies. The scientists said that while colossal squids have this appearance as minors, their bodies become more opaque over time. It is not known much about the massive squid life cycle, this change has been documented by fishermen who have found colossal squid while they die.
The research trips of the Schmidt Ocean Institute have led to the first sightings of four squid species, including the last colossal sighting of squid, the organization said. The executive director of the institute, Jyotika Virmani, described the meetings as “unforgettable moments”, which “continually remind us that the ocean is still full of mysteries still to solve.”
Correction: an earlier version of this story gave an incorrect measurement of a youth colossal squid. The story has been updated to reflect the correct measurement.
