Research: Giant Squid

Most cephalopods have short life cycles, reaching maturity at 1-2 years of age. Is it possible that Architeuthis are also short lived? Could they really reach large size within a couple of years?. In cephalopods growth rings in statoliths have been used to determine age. Statoliths are calcified structures found in the head of cephalpods and contain what are thought to be daily growth rings. The statoliths from three squid caught off the west coast of Ireland were examined to try to determine the age of the squid.

Growth rings in the statolith of an Architeuths

Growth rings were counted in statoliths of the three male squid caught off the west coast of Ireland and estimated ages were 300-422 days. This assumes that the rings are laid down on a daily basis. In other squid species the growth rings are known to be deposited on a daily basis, but we cannot be certain that this is the case with giant squid.

This data indicates that giant squid grow very rapidy and that male giant squid can reach maturity within a year. Females grow larger than the males and may live longer.

This data forms part of a paper recently published in JMBA

Colm Lordan, Martin A. Collins & Catalina Perales-Raya, 1988.
Observations on morphology, age and diet of three Architeuthis caught off the west coast of Ireland in 1995.
JMBA (1998). 78: 903-918.

Send reprints requests to Colm Lordan