Giant squid

Giant squid
Scientific classification
Kingdom Information
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum Information
Phylum	Mollusca
Class Information
Class	Cephalopoda
Order Information
Order	Teuthida
Sub-order	Oegopsina
Family Information
Family	Architeuthidae
Genus Information
Genus	Architeuthis
Species Information
Species	A. dux (Steenstrup, 1857) A. hartingii (Verrill, 1875) A. japonica (Pfeffer, 1912) A. kirkii (Robson, 1887) A. martensi (Hilgendorf, 1880) A. physeteris (Joubin, 1900) A. sanctipauli (Velain, 1877) A. stockii (Kirk, 1882)
Population statistics

Giant squid are a type of squid that can grow up to great sizes. Of the family Architeuthidae, they can grow up to 40 feet in length (although the tentacles usually make up over three quarters of this length). They have very large eyes and tentacles lined with suction cups to grasp prey. Giant squid live deep underwater, hunting deep-sea fish and other squid. They rarely come near the surface and so, sightings of giant squid are very scarce.

Due in part to this elusiveness, giant squid are popular creatures in mythology and popular culture, one example being the mighty kraken of Scandinavian legend, which has been popularised in numerous fictional representations, including, for example, in Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea, and the second Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

Although the term "giant squid" is often used to refer to any large species of squid, giant squid are actually one specific family of squid, separate from, for example, the even larger Collosal Squid.