Searching for The Kraken’s Cousin:

[Still Waters]

William Gilly has seen a Kraken. The mythical squid beast with ship-dooming tentacles surely exists, Gilly says, because he’s seen a baby one. “It was this big around,” he says, making a circle as big as a tire with his arms, a proud, boyish smile on his face. Fishermen spotted the carcass of the 8-foot-long, 400-pound baby giant squid in Monterey Bay three years ago, according to Gilly.

“If you’re an assistant professor proposing to study it, I don’t think you’d get tenure,” he says. “But one has to exist.”

http://www.wired.com...oldt-squid/all/

[ReaperS_ParadoX]

Heres what I dont understand, Squids have a fast life meaning they only live for about 2 years from what Iv read, Now im guessing they would grow fast to if there going to be mythical Kraken size. I mean werent Krakens said to be so big they were mistaken for islands..??

[Vidgange]

Heres what I dont understand, Squids have a fast life meaning they only live for about 2 years from what Iv read, Now im guessing they would grow fast to if there going to be mythical Kraken size. I mean werent Krakens said to be so big they were mistaken for islands..??

I'm guessing certain stories are exaggerations... You see something unfamiliar and terrifying, and suddenly you think it's 10x the actual size.

[NickKilcoyne]

Perhaps like other species, the bigger ones tend to live longer. Look at the tortoise, it lives, what, 200 years? Maybe they only need to mate every few years or perhaps even centuries due to their elongated existence, causing their population to be sparse.

[Rafterman]

I always considered a Kraken more akin to an octopus than a squid.

[Super-Fly]

Ive always considered a kraken more akin to fantasy then reality.

Be cool if they did find proof, maybe study it, learn from it, etc.

Anyway, im off for a toast sandwich.

Thanks,

[Guest Xetan]

Ive always considered a kraken more akin to fantasy then reality.

I love when people just shut themselves off completely instead of thinking: "Hm, we have giant squid. I wonder if what people used to call a "Kraken" could actually be something that really actually exists just with a different name. Gee, that's kind of a reasonable assumption, isn't it?"

[Super-Fly]

I love when people just shut themselves off completely instead of thinking: "Hm, we have giant squid. I wonder if what people used to call a "Kraken" could actually be something that really actually exists just with a different name. Gee, that's kind of a reasonable assumption, isn't it?"

Just an opinion, you have yours, i have mine.

Plus, if they called a giant squid a kraken, then it doesnt mean they exist.

Just means that we in this day and age are more educated and wise in comparison to

centuries ago.

Thanks for the reply.

Edited October 14, 2012 by Super-Fly

[Ravinoff]

Eh, the Humboldt squid is relatively small as gigantic cephalopods go. They grow to be about five feet long or so (mantle length, doesn't count tentacles) and get to 100 pounds. The giant squid Architeuthus dux can grow to 8 feet by the mantle, and 350 pounds (length including the two extended tentacles and the arms can be 40 feet or more, though). The giant squid's big brother, the colossal squid is only known from a few specimens, one weighing over 1000 pounds and being 33 feet long with the tentacles, but could in theory grow to be somewhat larger. That doesn't preclude the existence of larger species in the deep ocean, it just means we haven't found them yet.

[ReaperS_ParadoX]

I'm guessing certain stories are exaggerations... You see something unfamiliar and terrifying, and suddenly you think it's 10x the actual size.

Yeah but I mean you gotta consider these stories have some grain of truth to them

[ReaperS_ParadoX]

Eh, the Humboldt squid is relatively small as gigantic cephalopods go. They grow to be about five feet long or so (mantle length, doesn't count tentacles) and get to 100 pounds. The giant squid Architeuthus dux can grow to 8 feet by the mantle, and 350 pounds (length including the two extended tentacles and the arms can be 40 feet or more, though). The giant squid's big brother, the colossal squid is only known from a few specimens, one weighing over 1000 pounds and being 33 feet long with the tentacles, but could in theory grow to be somewhat larger. That doesn't preclude the existence of larger species in the deep ocean, it just means we haven't found them yet.

Yeah I saw this thing on MonsterQuest where they were looking for the Kraken and they got footage of these insanely long tentacles but the creature was too deep to make out, so all they really saw were its large tentacles. interesting stuff

[Guest Xetan]

Plus, if they called a giant squid a kraken, then it doesnt mean they exist.

Just means that we in this day and age are more educated and wise in comparison to

centuries ago.

What the balls does this mean? If Kraken and Squid are the same thing, then yes, Kraken existed. Sure, it wasn't an island that sank when docked upon. Nobody is saying to rigidly follow a mythology. If you go to Spain and start talking about calamar, does that mean squids don't exist anymore?

Logic, windows, flying out.

[Super-Fly]

What the balls does this mean? If Kraken and Squid are the same thing, then yes, Kraken existed. Sure, it wasn't an island that sank when docked upon. Nobody is saying to rigidly follow a mythology. If you go to Spain and start talking about calamar, does that mean squids don't exist anymore?

Logic, windows, flying out.

They might have had ther wires crossed thats all,

Mistaking one thing for another.

Still,

Thanks,

[Wyverna]

I actually think it's possible a large octopus might live in the ocean discovered.

An octopus the size of an island? No. An octopus bigger than the ones we know of? Sure, it could happen. It might not be true, but we don't know.

But I do believe Kraken sightings might have just been giant squid.

[Ravinoff]

Yeah I saw this thing on MonsterQuest where they were looking for the Kraken and they got footage of these insanely long tentacles but the creature was too deep to make out, so all they really saw were its large tentacles. interesting stuff

Any idea where they were? If they were in warmer waters, I'm thinking it might be a Magnapinna squid, possibly an unidentified species. They've spotted a few extremely long-armed bigfin squid in very deep water in the Gulf Of Mexico, and in the Pacific and Indian oceans.

[Guest Xetan]

Any idea where they were? If they were in warmer waters, I'm thinking it might be a Magnapinna squid, possibly an unidentified species. They've spotted a few extremely long-armed bigfin squid in very deep water in the Gulf Of Mexico, and in the Pacific and Indian oceans.

I want some monster quests on this right now. I demand more information for this species than what currently exists 3<

[Vidgange]

Yeah but I mean you gotta consider these stories have some grain of truth to them

Oh, I do believe they got some truth in 'em! Just look at the Giant and Colossal Squid: that's a Kraken right there! But I doubt we got a squid or octopus that's as big as an island...

[Rafterman]

Any idea where they were? If they were in warmer waters, I'm thinking it might be a Magnapinna squid, possibly an unidentified species. They've spotted a few extremely long-armed bigfin squid in very deep water in the Gulf Of Mexico, and in the Pacific and Indian oceans.

It was the Gulf of California - actually their best show in my opinion. They put a camera on a smaller squid and it was attacked by this larger one.

[Ravinoff]

It was the Gulf of California - actually their best show in my opinion. They put a camera on a smaller squid and it was attacked by this larger one.

That would be right on for the location. The one I posted was spotted by the DSV Alvin in the Gulf Of Mexico, and is believed to be an adult Magnapinna specimen. We've only caught and described juveniles so far.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigfin_squid

[ReaperS_ParadoX]

Any idea where they were? If they were in warmer waters, I'm thinking it might be a Magnapinna squid, possibly an unidentified species. They've spotted a few extremely long-armed bigfin squid in very deep water in the Gulf Of Mexico, and in the Pacific and Indian oceans.

If I recall I vaguely remember the sea of Cortez I could be wrong though

[ReaperS_ParadoX]

That would be right on for the location. The one I posted was spotted by the DSV Alvin in the Gulf Of Mexico, and is believed to be an adult Magnapinna specimen. We've only caught and described juveniles so far.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigfin_squid

That sounds right they do cannabalize each other

[Guest Xetan]

The Magnapinna's tentacles aren't thick enough to be the ones seen in the MonsterQuest episode (which I watched after reading this thread.)

Here's the footage:

http://youtu.be/2OcErK9E_2I?t=39m11s

[Vidgange]

The Magnapinna's tentacles aren't thick enough to be the ones seen in the MonsterQuest episode (which I watched after reading this thread.)

Here's the footage:

http://youtu.be/2OcErK9E_2I?t=39m11s

Damn! If those calculations are correct that's a true monster!!!

How big do you guys think that creature was? I imagine that MQ might have exaggerated the size a bit...?

[ReaperS_ParadoX]

The Magnapinna's tentacles aren't thick enough to be the ones seen in the MonsterQuest episode (which I watched after reading this thread.)

Here's the footage:

http://youtu.be/2OcErK9E_2I?t=39m11s

Yeah thats the episode alright, The thing looks HUGE how big do you think it is Xetan??

[Guest Xetan]

I'm not really a squid expert, so giving an estimation would be a bit irresponsible.

But I would guess it's pretty large. Definitely something I'd like that research team, or at least another one, to try again and see what turns up. That could be a whole new species sitting down there waiting to be discovered.