Eat or be Eaten

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Published:

April 27, 2007

Eat or be Eaten:

Until recently giant squids have never been seen alive making it only speculative in their feeding habits, but by analyzing the stomach contents of a we have revealed some of the mystery. Studies of the dead individuals have found that they eat deep sea fishes such as orange ruffie and hokie, krill, and other deep sea squid. The size of these great creatures could even allow them to catch about anything even a whale.

Based on the eating habits of other squid scientists have speculated that giant squid capture their prey with their long feeding tentacles. The suckers attach to the prey and the tentacles contract bringing the prey into its arms to further subdue its victim and move it towards its beak. The beak is controlled by a set of giant muscles that allow it to bite through anything. Once the bite size pieces enter the mouth they are shredded by the radula and then swallowed down the esophagus to its one way digestive system.

At the earliest stage of life for giant squid they become the food to source for deep sea fish. Once they reach maturity their size is much to big for past predators, but as for the sperm whale its another story. As big as Architeuthis dux are the sperm whale's 30-40 tons and 50 meters of length make it a dangerous enemy of the giant squid. The giant squid is much to small to fight or escape the whale. In most cases the Architeuthis dux loses, this is evident by the number of giant squid remains found in the sperm whale stomachs. Scars from the squid's tentacle club remain on the skin of the sperm whale as well.