Battle of the leviathans of the depths

[Cetacea]

Leviathans may battle in remote depths

New studies suggest that great white sharks may migrate so they can dine on giant squids.

In what could be the ultimate marine smack-down, great white sharks off the California coast may be migrating 1,600 miles west to do battle with creatures that rival their star power: giant squids.

A series of studies tracking this mysterious migration has scientists rethinking not just what the big shark does with its time but also what sort of creature it is.

Few sea denizens match great white sharks and giant squids in primitive mystique. Both are the subject of popular mania; both are inscrutable.

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[a vampire wears my boxers]

natures perfect killing machine. a monster of myth and legend. finally they collide! Lorenzo Llamas, Meredith Baxter, and Miley Cyrus as Dr. Cornholio. this spring dive into the sea of intranquility. Big-A** Shark vs. Crazy Huge Kraken. only on scyfy!

[Child of the light]

Discovery or Animal planet SO have to film this clash between the sharks and giant squids and make it into a whole our marathon! I would love to see this on tv with my own 2 eyes, it would be like...King kong vs godzilla! Awsome stuff

[UltraThunderMan]

Cool article. But it seems to me that the best chance a shark has of taking down a giant squid is to completely catch it off guard. Otherwise it should be lights out for the shark once the squid gets ahold of him.

[Samael]

It's like Alien vs. Predator! Except more realistic! And much less ridculously gratuitous!

At least there more evenly matched than giant quid and sperm whales, as well. I never imagined those clashes as being particularly epic. Maybe a very brief fight before the squid gets swallowed whole.

[Neognosis]

I don't buy it yet. for one, the conclusion that the sharks are eating squid seems to have no backing evidence. They couldn't figure out what they were eating, so they concluded "it must be giant squid."

I've never heard of any great whites showing up with the typical battle scars we see on sperm whales that are characteristic of fights with giant squid.

Second, I recall learning that GWs are very cautious hunters, more afraid of getting injured than anything else. In this respect, they bite-wound their prey and wait for it to die, then go in to eat. It seems that hunting giant squid would not be a safe bet. I also recall learning that they seek food that is very high in fat.. and there was a theory that most attacks on humans were to "get a taste" and that often the great whites did not come back because human flesh is not high enough in fat to make the risk worth the second attack. Seems that squid are not really in that category.

HOWEVER, I'm nothing more than a hobby biologist, certainly not enough of one to make my screen name Cetacea or anything like that. But I would like to learn more about this.

[Whateversmurf]

Thats sad I don't want them to die....

Edited March 8, 2010 by Whateversmurf

[xYlvax]

thats beast

[Cetacea]

[quote name='Neognosis' date='08 March 2010 - 05:20 PM' timestamp='1268068827' post='3320626', I'm nothing more than a hobby biologist, certainly not enough of one to make my screen name Cetacea or anything like that. But I would like to learn more about this.

Ooh don't make me think, now it makes it sound like I have to come up with a halfway intelligent reply and I'm low on brain juice today But I shall try.

I don't buy it yet. for one, the conclusion that the sharks are eating squid seems to have no backing evidence. They couldn't figure out what they were eating, so they concluded "it must be giant squid."

To be fair, it does not say it's the only possible explanation. It could be giant squid because they frequent an area where there is a lot, but even the article says it's still controversial, but the headline needs to draw people in of course. As he says in the article:"Though wary of pop biology, Domeier made the most of it. He used his time on camera to lobby against eating bluefin tuna and Chilean sea bass.If mythic predator-mania gave him the chance, so be it, he said."

So yes, a good bit of conjecture to make the headlines maybe but it is based on valid research, but again, yes, there is reason to be a little wary of it just yet, it is however an interesting suggestion.

I've never heard of any great whites showing up with the typical battle scars we see on sperm whales that are characteristic of fights with giant squid.

Second, I recall learning that GWs are very cautious hunters, more afraid of getting injured than anything else. In this respect, they bite-wound their prey and wait for it to die, then go in to eat. It seems that hunting giant squid would not be a safe bet. I also recall learning that they seek food that is very high in fat.. and there was a theory that most attacks on humans were to "get a taste" and that often the great whites did not come back because human flesh is not high enough in fat to make the risk worth the second attack. Seems that squid are not really in that category.

I'm no shark expert either, however, I do know that cetaceans and sharks hunt in a very different manner and they have a very different set of 'weaponry', as impressive as Sperm whales may seem to us, their teeth are not serrated like GW's they are more peg like, they grasp, but they don't necessarily slice like a Great Whites would. Hence if they have a hold on the squid, the animal could potentially still defend itself whereas if it was no longer in one piece it would have a job keeping the predator off! Great Whites are ambush predators, and I would imagine if they got in one good bite they could do quite a lot of damage, especially as the squid is soft bodied throughout, one bite could potentially do a lot of damage.

Body fat is a good point, however, I do not know that much about Great White feeding habits, some other shark species to subsist on molluscs and maybe as with some cetaceans they are different Great White ecotypes?

Edit: Ok so the formatting went all funny for some reason and it's all double and I can't seem to fix it, looks different in the editor

Edited March 8, 2010 by Cetacea

[the rebirth]

natures perfect killing machine. a monster of myth and legend. finally they collide! Lorenzo Llamas, Meredith Baxter, and Miley Cyrus as Dr. Cornholio. this spring dive into the sea of intranquility. Big-A** Shark vs. Crazy Huge Kraken. only on scyfy!

hahahahahaha

coming to scyfy this sunday, sunday, someday!!

The weather turned bad, and the investigation ended early. The trip back was boring enough for the crew to form a band, then break up.

murmaider. go into the water. and now: the shark and the squid: UNDERWATER GLADIATORS. as performed by (insert lame science-band name here)

-only heavy metal boats on the deep ocean floats

[Mattshark]

'm no shark expert either, however, I do know that cetaceans and sharks hunt in a very different manner and they have a very different set of 'weaponry', as impressive as Sperm whales may seem to us, their teeth are not serrated like GW's they are more peg like, they grasp, but they don't necessarily slice like a Great Whites would. Hence if they have a hold on the squid, the animal could potentially still defend itself whereas if it was no longer in one piece it would have a job keeping the predator off! Great Whites are ambush predators, and I would imagine if they got in one good bite they could do quite a lot of damage, especially as the squid is soft bodied throughout, one bite could potentially do a lot of damage.

Body fat is a good point, however, I do not know that much about Great White feeding habits, some other shark species to subsist on molluscs and maybe as with some cetaceans they are different Great White ecotypes?

That is what I would suspect too, a shark is better adapted than a cetacean for quick killing bites because the teeth are so much sharper and serrated, 1 bit could easily do the job.

[Samuronin]

Hmm could this be a sign that the ocean's fishes and resources are dwindling?

[Cetacea]

Hmm could this be a sign that the ocean's fishes and resources are dwindling?

The decline in certain fish stocks has certainly led to the increase of other squid species, I am not sure how it would affect giant squid as I'm not too familiar with their diet, however, in theory I would imagine an increase in giant squid numbers could lead to more opportunistic foraging from Great Whites.

[mushrmcloud]

go squid, get those sharks. I cant eat the sharks; however I love squid bebay. Anyway, both would likely eat me. Especially if they are as hungry as I am....

[Mr Meowgi]

natures perfect killing machine. a monster of myth and legend. finally they collide! Lorenzo Llamas, Meredith Baxter, and Miley Cyrus as Dr. Cornholio. this spring dive into the sea of intranquility. Big-A** Shark vs. Crazy Huge Kraken. only on scyfy!

ROFLMAO Meredith Baxter hahaha!!!

It sounds plausible to me.