Wednesday, 27 November 2013

Deep Sea Kraken

The first creature I'm bringing to you is from my favourite species of animals, the Squid. Squids are part of the Cephalopoda family, which is Greek for "head-feet". The squid in particular that is the topic of this post is the Humboldt Squid, one regularly found in the Humboldt currents in Mexico in the Pacific Ocean. They are also known to migrate North, as far as Alaska when warmer currents are carried up the coast line (This has occurred twice in recorded history, once in 1930 and in 2002). In their short life span of 2 year they grow massively, up to 6 feet long. Humboldt squid utilize luminescent photopores to change colours, which is used as a communication tool between others of their kind. So what makes these creatures dangerous? It's not any special venomous gland, or massive jaw strength that can crack bone, but it's their aggression. Humboldt squid are known to be one of the most  aggressive hunters in the ocean, and when a diver gets caught up in a feeding frenzy or a fisherman slips and falls overboard, it's the critical mass of razor like teeth on the squid's suckers that will cause a person to die from the lacerations they receive from the squids. One marine photographer who has studied much of this species was driven to develop his own body armour to fit with SCUBA gear to protect himself if caught in a feeding frenzy.

That's my dangerous sea creature for this instalment, if you have any questions just remember you're on the internet and can easily look it up.

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