The basics: a Japanese team is the first ever to obtain images of a living adult giant squid, which attacked bait suspended below a remote-operated vehicle. The squid was 26 feet long, and left a 6-meter tentacle behind attached to the vehicle. And whereas many thought the giant squid would be a sluggish, lethargic creature, it turns out to be a fast-moving, active predator. Yikes.
I seem to recall that they have a beak like a parrot. They pull their prey in with the tentacles and then devour it with the beak. I also seem to recall that some kind of whale has been found to have a stomach full of these beaks, indicating that specie of whale considers giant squids to be tasty.
Squid are truly violent predators. The larger ones regularly attack divers who get too close to a swarm. Once the swarm gets into a frenzy they will even attack each other. Its no surprise that the larger ones are at least as ferocious. Sperm whales dive deep to feast on squid. I’m not sure how they could ever generate much blubber on squid, as they take forever to eat. Eating squid is more of a chewing exercise than eating.
I seem to recall that squid sashimi is a lot squishier than octopus. For some reason, I seem to have repressed the rest of my experience along those lines.
I have to say my experience with squid sashimi was different. I found mine --and it was the only time I had it-- to be actually kinda crunchy, sort of like a soft bell pepper might be: juicy and a bit resistant at the same time. Not at all chewy like octopus, which I can take or leave. Mostly it’s leave.
It was only a matter of time until one of those squidzillas was photographed. Very cool. I wouldn’t want to meet one unprotected. I’ll bet I’m just the size for a snack.
Some deep-ranging sea creatures, including Greenland sharks, have urea-impregnated flesh, which smells and tastes of ammonia and makes them inedible to humans. I’m not sure, but I believe that the urea serves as a sort of antifreeze.
“Unlike the flesh of its smaller, edible squid cousins, Architeuthis’s is saturated with ammonium chloride, which causes it to taste like a mouthful of household cleaner.”
So Nano’s right. Probably not most people’s idea of yummy. Then again, people drink Jagermeister and eat haggis (hopefully not at the same time), so . . .
I’m starting to think that Nano is some kind of superagent, disguised as a flute-playing garage service-writer; he knows way too much about urea-laden sharks, the evolutionary history of cranes, martial arts and Asian languages than is right.
Leave Indiana out of this, the discussion was about squid
Anyhoo, yeah, bummer about that urea-impregnated flesh deal. A very impressive creature, though.
On the upside, their smaller cousins are delicious when battered and deep-fried or grilled and served up with a soy and ginger based dipping sauce…don’t forge the lemon wedges either. It’s only rubbery when it’s overcooked.
Man, post a topic about some rare, beautiful, or majestic animal, and it always comes down to whether or not it makes for good eatin’. You people . . .
I’d definitely sit very, very still in a dark hole, or swim very, very deep and impregnate my flesh with urea compounds, if I were potentially tasty and you folks were around. I’m pretty sure, though, that my innate bitterness and startling outward appearance is enough to keep me off the CITES list.
