Hi, Pamela here.
What an amazing day! I’m the interpreter for the squid exhibition which means I have to digest all the squid info to make it easy and interesting for all you squid fans out there.
We’re hoping to display the colossal squid later this year. We’ve got lots of things to work out and plan before we can do that – like how big a tank we need to make. We can’t do that until it’s completely thawed out.
Meanwhile we want to hear what you want to know about the colossal squid and what you’d like to see.
Post your comments and ideas below. We’d love to hear from you!
30 April 2008 at 4:20 pm
I have learned so much today about a topic I would never have sought out. I am a school librarian sitting here cataloguing on a very quiet (school holiday) day and have been fascinated by the whole process you have gone through today. I have learned about giant vs colossal squid, relation of beak to size, difference between arms and tentacles etc – all extremely basic stuff to you experts but amazing to an absolute amateur.
Thank you – it has been a privilege to share this experience.
30 April 2008 at 4:29 pm
sooooooo jealous, it would look great centre stage at our aquarium near the model from the face off series!
30 April 2008 at 4:31 pm
From all the attention this blog (and the webcams) is receiving, I suspect that a summary of the history and process of the squid from the time it was caught to exhibited would be popular.
What do your traffic stats look like for the past couple of days?
30 April 2008 at 4:35 pm
Thanks – we’ll sort out an email list tomorrow. Still trying to make sure we record the next bit where the scientist lay out the squid for display so that our Northern Hemisphere folk can catch up on what has happened.
Yes our traffic stats have gone a bit crazy! At least 20 times our usual numbers – and rising. We’ve also had several thousand people looking at the webcam over the day. Thanks to all the IT people who have kept our systems running – phew!
30 April 2008 at 4:59 pm
hi i have always had an interest in the giant/colossal squid so i am happy and excited to have found this blog, So Has the big one you caught been measured yet? how big is it?
30 April 2008 at 5:19 pm
Hey!
There is a bunch of us following your webcast very closely there: http://www.tangler.com/forum/general-conversation/topic/40832
It’s a live discussion.
(you can actually embed our live discussion on your blog with the embed code)
30 April 2008 at 5:19 pm
Here is the code btw:
30 April 2008 at 5:21 pm
hmm… doesn’t like the code
Well you can find it clicking on the “share” link at the top right of this page:
http://www.tangler.com/forum/general-conversation/topic/40832
happy squid!
1 May 2008 at 6:06 am
One thing I’ve been wondering about is do these animals have a crop like their distant cousins Aplysia? I remember from working on Aplysia that the crop was lined with large pyramid shaped things with a hardness similar to fingernails. Can’t imagine how big they’d be if there is an equivalent in the Colossal Squid.
Second Q: What is an arm crown? I thought I heard that mentioned in the commentary at one point as a part of the squid that is sometimes found in whale stomachs?
1 May 2008 at 3:46 pm
Thanks to everyone involved for making this event available to the whole world.I am an avid sport fisherman and the idea of colossal or giant squid in the same waters that we fish in is fascinating.We need more webcasts of findings such as this.
Thanks again,
Scott
8 May 2008 at 6:14 pm
The arm crown is the head and tentacles. Because the head – body attachment isn’t very strong, squids often break into two pieces: the mantle and the crown – whales seem to prefer eating the crown.