Nature never ceases to amaze, an amazing giant squid has been accidentally captured several miles off the Eastern Coast of Asturias by the crew of the fishing vessel Minchos VI. The incredible episode occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, November 24, when a group of fishermen were fishing on the Asturian coast, between 300 and 400 meters deep, several miles from Villaviciosa; finding a giant squid in their nets. She is a female of about 150 kilos in weight and 10 meters in length from the head to the end of the tentacles.
It is extraordinary for anyone to be able to see a specimen of that size, even for those who work daily at sea. The phenomenal squid is one of the largest that has been located in recent years, according to information from Luis Laria, president of the Coordination for the Study and Protection of Marine Species (Cepesma).
The captured giant squid was transferred to Gijón, where it was frozen while waiting to perform a necropsy on the specimen and learn more about this species in the Parque de la Vida de Luarca, a private museum owned by Luis Laria.
Squids are an order of cephalopod molluscs, they have two gills and an associated closed circulatory system, formed by a systemic heart and two branchial hearts. It is characteristic in its anatomy to have eight arms and two strongly muscled tentacles equipped with suckers that if they are torn off they will not grow back. They have the peculiarity of being able to camouflage themselves in the middle with great ease to avoid being eaten by their predators.
The problem is that the admiration that these large cephalopods arouse in the public is apparently not shared by the authorities; since the conservation of each of these specimens costs about 7,000 euros and there are no subsidies from any public institution for it, according to Laria. It is important to point out that in this park of life, two other frozen specimens are already accumulated; the last of almost eight meters and about 80 kilos, captured last August north of Getaria (Guipúzcoa, Basque Country), about 50 miles from the coast.
At the end of the year, these three natural wonders intend to be exhibited along with another five that are already in huge glass cases; in the Species Recovery Center, so that the public can visit and learn about its incredible beauty. Therefore, it is expected that the necropsy will be carried out before Christmas. The amazing squid will become part of the exhibition on the giant squid in the Parque de la Vida from the beginning of the year 2016.