Giant squid washed ashore after a battle with the same type

Being attacked by the same kind of man to steal fish, the 9-meter-long giant squid carries many serious wounds when washed ashore on the Spanish coast.

I drifted to the northwestern coast of Spain in 2016 as the only surviving individual found to be stranded off the coast of Japan. The findings were published yesterday in the journal Ecology, according to IFL Science.

Although giant ink is usually about 13 meters long and weighs hundreds of kilograms, researchers know very little about this animal. Less than 1,000 specimens were discovered and most were dead. Rare individuals survive when ashore mainly concentrated in Japanese coasts.

The giant squid was alive when washed ashore but died a few hours later.(Photo: IFL Science).

Many residents saw the giant squid not far from the harbor on Bares beach in northern Spain on October 7, 2016. It floated about three meters away from the water, still alive and struggled for two hours before it washed ashore. When tested, the researchers can be sure this is an immature female squid 9 meters long and weighs 105kg.

What made them curious was that the ink was covered with tears and scratches unlike injuries when stranded. The test results are closer to that of the young squirt shirt revealing the attacker is not a carnivore but another giant squid. The size and shape of the suction marks coincide with the attraction of this species. Researchers believe that immature squid is unfortunately caught up in the war with fellow humans, more likely to fight food.

According to the researchers, the giant squid strayed to the waters of Spain when chasing the bluefish. This species usually gathers into large herds at a depth of 150-30000 meters, although they are more common at 300 - 400 meters from the water. Due to their dense concentration, they are not only the target of giant ink but also fishing vessels.

Although researchers have not fully understood the hunting behavior of giant squid, they speculate that they may actively chase prey or lie down. A report notes that giant squid swims beneath the fish and swings tentacles to catch fish. Massive termite fish are sure to attract many giant squid, urging larger squid to attack and rob the fish of smaller individuals.

Wounds on living specimens indicate this is the cause of death. After being attacked by the same type, the female squid can be disoriented and swim into warm waters, where it cannot stop bleeding and suffocate.