Fun Giant Squid Facts For Kids

The giant squid, Architeuthis dux, is the largest invertebrate known to man. These organisms are deep-sea dwellers, found at inhospitable depths in the world’s oceans. The availability of information was limited due to the difficulty of locating giant squids. However, in 2004, a group of scientists in Japan was able to capture live images of this elusive creature that was washed to the shore. Tsunemi Kubodera of the National Science Museum, Japan, documented a female live giant squid. It was 8 yd (7.32 m) in length and washed to the surface by Tsunemi Kubodera and his team of scientists while it was feeding on a bait squid. This event occurred near the Ogasawara Islands in the South of Tokyo. The Natural History of Museum, North America has a giant squid (Architeuthis kirkii) on display.Giant squids are usually confused with octopuses. Giant squids are Cephalopods, characterized by soft bodies. They have a triangular head with massive circular eyes. Their mantle has two small fins, eight arms, and two long feeding tentacles. In contrast, octopuses have a rounded head, resting on their mantle with eight arms. The giant squid eye is the largest one in the animal kingdom, recorded at 10 in (25.4 cm). These massive eyes allow the giant squids to visualize their surroundings to search for bioluminescent prey and to evade predators. This specimen has a complex, well-developed brain. Read on to discover more. You may also check out the fact files on the southern elephant seal and leopard seal from Kidadl.

What do they prey on? Deep-sea fish, smaller squid species and sometimes, other giant squids

What do they eat? Carnivores

Average litter size? 11 lb (5 kg) worth of eggs

How much do they weigh? Females - 606 lb (275 kg) Males - 330 lb (150 kg)

How long are they? Females - 13-14 yd (12-13 m) Males - 11 yd (10 m)‍

How tall are they? N/A

What do they look like? Colorful (can change colors)

Skin Type Soft

What were their main threats? Sperm Whales, Pilot Whales, And Deep-sea Sharks

What is their conservation status? Least Concern

Where you’ll find them? Deep-oceans In The Twilight Zone

Locations North Pacific (japan), South Atlantic (azores), North Atlantic (norway), Around New Zealand And Australia

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Architeuthis

Class Cephalopoda

Family Architeuthidae

Giant Squid Interesting FactsWhat type of animal is a giant squid?The giant squid, Architeuthis dux, is a marine invertebrate (an organism without a spine). It breathes in dissolved oxygen through its respiratory organs.What class of animal does a giant squid belong to?The giant squid is a Cephalopod. These are mollusks with soft bodies. Giant squids have bilateral body symmetry. It has a prominent triangular head with massive circular eyes that capture bioluminescence.How many giant squids are there in the world?The exact number of giant squids present in the world’s oceans is unknown. This is largely because these creatures can’t be accurately tracked.Where does a giant squid live?The giant squid lives underwater, in the deepest part of the world’s oceans. It is most commonly found in North Atlantic (Norway), South Atlantic (Azores), North Pacific (Japan), around New Zealand, and Australia.What is a giant squid’s habitat?The giant squid species lives at great depths in the oceans, in the Twilight zone. These organisms live at a depth of 330-1100 yd (300-1000 m). In this region, the temperature is low, around 33.8-39.2 degrees F (1-4 degrees C), and the pressure is high (2500 psi). Mostly, giant squids reside in temperate zones on the globe. They don’t venture into tropical and polar zones. Unlike octopuses, they live above the ocean floor, swimming freely in the water.Who do giant squids live with?The behavior of giant squids is largely unknown. However, they are considered to be solitary organisms. They live and hunt by themselves.How long does a giant squid live?The giant squid lifespan is very short. It lives no longer than five years. The squid’s age is determined by counting the number of rings present on statoliths. A statolith is a small mineralized mass that aids in balancing the organism in the water.How do they reproduce?The reproductive cycle of giant squids is not fully understood. The squids are thought to attain sexual maturity by three years of age. A theory proposes that the males inject mature sperm into the arms of the female. The sperm are assimilated through subsidiary tendrils on the base of the females’ arms. The process of fertilization has to be studied. However, once completed, the female then releases the fertilized eggs. The giant squid egg is covered and protected by a gelatinous substance. The entire mass is called an egg mass.What is their conservation status?The conservation status of the giant squid is Least Concern. This means that the species is at a very low risk of extinction. Accurate counts of giant squids aren’t possible.Giant Squid Fun FactsWhat do giant squids look like?Giant squids have a triangular head with massive circular eyes resting on a long mantle or body. The mantle has two small fins on the top and all the necessary organs. On the undercarriage is a funnel that functions to pump water for exhaling, releasing waste, squirting ink, and locomotion via propulsion. In addition, the giant squid has eight arms and two long tentacles. The arms are of different sizes with toothed suckers that are 2 in (5.8 cm) wide. The tentacles are the longest among all the Cephalopods. They serve to capture prey at great distances, without revealing the presence of the squid. It ingests its prey through a small circular giant squid beak.*Please note this is an image of a Caribbean reef squid which is much smaller! If you have an image of a giant squid, let us know at [email protected]How cute are they?Giant squids don’t fit into the conventional definition of cute. They are elusive marine predators which spend most of their lives deep underwater and away from surface-dwelling organisms.How do they communicate?Giant squids have the ability to glow. They have special organs which produce light. Bioluminescence allows them to change their pigmentation patterns. It is possible that these organisms signal each other via this route.How big is a giant squid?Among the giant squids, the females are larger than the males. A female giant squid size is between 13-14 yd (12-13 m) long and weighs 606 lb (275 kg). On the other hand, male giant squids are 11 yd (10 m) in length and weigh 330 lb (150 kg). A giant squid is twice as large as an elephant seal.The squid captured by Tsunemi Kubodera of the National Science Museum, Japan, was 8 yd (7.32 m) in length.How fast can a giant squid swim?Normal-sized squids are known to travel at speeds of 23-25 mph (37-40 kph). This is achieved by water propulsion from the funnel. This suggests that giant squids could travel much faster than their smaller counterparts.How much does a giant squid weigh?A female giant squid weighs up to 606 lb (275 kg). A male can weigh up to 330 lb (150 kg).What are the male and female names of the species?There aren’t any specific names for the male and female giant squids.What would you call a baby giant squid?There aren’t any specific names for a baby giant squid.What do they eat?Giant squids feast on deep-sea fish and other smaller squid species. In addition, giant squids have been documented to feed on other giant squids. It is unclear as to why this arises. However, it may be due to competition for nutrients and prey.Are they dangerous?Cultural depictions of giant squids attacking sailors and their boats have formed the central plot in numerous books and movies. Monsters, like the Kraken, have captured the imagination. However, there has been zero documentation of giant squids attacking boats and ships.Would they make a good pet?Giant squid specimens are large marine predators and wouldn’t fit into a domestic environment due to their size and their natural habitat (high pressure and low temperatures). They wouldn’t make a good pet.Did you know…Giant squid specimens attack only their prey and aren’t believed to be naturally aggressive towards humans.In cultural depictions of giant squids and whales, the squids were observed to be attacking the whales. However, scientifically, sperm whales are predators of giant squid. They are not competitors for prey. In addition, this specimen is too soft and delicate to cause notable damage to whales. It is unlikely that a giant squid could kill a sperm whale.The biggest giant squid ever found was over 14 yd (12.8 m) in length and weighed a ton!How many tentacles does a giant squid have?The giant squid has two tentacles that act as nets to capture prey. Their tentacles can extend to lengths twice that of their body length. This enables these large organisms to sneak up on unsuspecting prey.When was the giant squid discovered?Sightings of the giant squid were first documented in the fourth century BCE by Aristotle. He wrote that giant squid, ‘Teuthus’, were caught. These organisms measured more than the length of five eels.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals from our harp seal facts and fur seals facts pages.You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our giant squid coloring pages.

What type of animal is a giant squid?

The giant squid, Architeuthis dux, is a marine invertebrate (an organism without a spine). It breathes in dissolved oxygen through its respiratory organs.

Fun Giant Squid Facts For Kids

What do they prey on? Deep-sea fish, smaller squid species and sometimes, other giant squids

What do they eat? Carnivores

Average litter size? 11 lb (5 kg) worth of eggs

How much do they weigh? Females - 606 lb (275 kg) Males - 330 lb (150 kg)

How long are they? Females - 13-14 yd (12-13 m) Males - 11 yd (10 m)‍

How tall are they? N/A

What do they look like? Colorful (can change colors)

Skin Type Soft

What were their main threats? Sperm Whales, Pilot Whales, And Deep-sea Sharks

What is their conservation status? Least Concern

Where you’ll find them? Deep-oceans In The Twilight Zone

Locations North Pacific (japan), South Atlantic (azores), North Atlantic (norway), Around New Zealand And Australia

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Architeuthis

Class Cephalopoda

Family Architeuthidae

Fun Giant Squid Facts For Kids

What do they prey on? Deep-sea fish, smaller squid species and sometimes, other giant squids

What do they eat? Carnivores

Average litter size? 11 lb (5 kg) worth of eggs

How much do they weigh? Females - 606 lb (275 kg) Males - 330 lb (150 kg)

How long are they? Females - 13-14 yd (12-13 m) Males - 11 yd (10 m)‍

How tall are they? N/A

What do they look like? Colorful (can change colors)

Skin Type Soft

What were their main threats? Sperm Whales, Pilot Whales, And Deep-sea Sharks

What is their conservation status? Least Concern

Where you’ll find them? Deep-oceans In The Twilight Zone

Locations North Pacific (japan), South Atlantic (azores), North Atlantic (norway), Around New Zealand And Australia

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Architeuthis

Class Cephalopoda

Family Architeuthidae

Fun Giant Squid Facts For Kids

What do they prey on? Deep-sea fish, smaller squid species and sometimes, other giant squids

What do they eat? Carnivores

Average litter size? 11 lb (5 kg) worth of eggs

How much do they weigh? Females - 606 lb (275 kg) Males - 330 lb (150 kg)

How long are they? Females - 13-14 yd (12-13 m) Males - 11 yd (10 m)‍

How tall are they? N/A

What do they look like? Colorful (can change colors)

Skin Type Soft

What were their main threats? Sperm Whales, Pilot Whales, And Deep-sea Sharks

What is their conservation status? Least Concern

Where you’ll find them? Deep-oceans In The Twilight Zone

Locations North Pacific (japan), South Atlantic (azores), North Atlantic (norway), Around New Zealand And Australia

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Architeuthis

Class Cephalopoda

Family Architeuthidae