Cephalopod size
From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
The giant squid (Architeuthis dux, pictured) was for a long time thought to be the largest extant cephalopod. It is now known that the colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) attains an even greater size.
Size has been one of the most interesting aspects of cephalopod science to the general public. This article lists the largest cephalopods from various groups, sorted in order of mantle length, total length, weight, and shell diameter. Extinct taxa are also included.
Contents
Mantle length
Reaching a mantle length of 2 m, Onykia robusta is one of the largest squid species.
Enteroctopus dofleini, the giant Pacific octopus, is one of the two largest octopus species, together with Haliphron atlanticus.
| Octopoda (octopuses) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Maximum mantle length | References | Notes | ||
| Haliphron atlanticus | 0.69 m | O'Shea (2004) | |||
| Enteroctopus dofleini | 0.6 m | Norman (2000:214) | |||
| Sepiida (cuttlefish) | |||||
| Species | Maximum mantle length | References | Notes | ||
| Sepia apama | 0.5 m | Reid et al. (2005:68) | |||
| Sepia latimanus | 0.5 m | Reid et al. (2005:92) | |||
| Sepia officinalis hierredda | <0.5 m | Reid et al. (2005:88) | |||
| Sepia officinalis | 0.49 m | Reid et al. (2005:99) | |||
| Sepia pharaonis | 0.42 m | Reid et al. (2005:107) | |||
| Sepia lycidas | 0.38 m | Reid et al. (2005:96) | |||
| Sepia ramani | 0.375 m | Reid et al. (2005:114) | |||
| Sepiolida (bobtail squid) | |||||
| Species | Maximum mantle length | References | Notes | ||
| Austrorossia antillensis | 0.09 m | Reid & Jereb (2005:192) | |||
| Rossia pacifica | 0.09 m (female) | Reid & Jereb (2005:185) | Male grows to 45 mm in mantle length (Reid & Jereb, 2005). | ||
| Rossia macrosoma | 0.085 m | Reid & Jereb (2005:184) | More typically the mantle length is 20–60 mm (Reid & Jereb, 2005). | ||
| Neorossia caroli | 0.083 m (female) | Reid & Jereb (2005:190) | Male grows to 51 mm in mantle length (Reid & Jereb, 2005). | ||
| Spirulida (Ram's Horn Squid) (only one extant species) | |||||
| Species | Maximum mantle length | References | Notes | ||
| Spirula spirula | rarely exceeds 0.045 m | Reid (2005:211) | |||
| Teuthida (squid) | |||||
| Species | Maximum mantle length | References | Notes | ||
| Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, colossal squid | 4 m (estimate) | O'Shea (2005a) | Estimate based on largest known beak (LRL: 49 mm). | ||
| Galiteuthis phyllura, cockatoo squid | 2.65–2.75 m (estimate) | Nesis (1985) | Estimate based on 0.4 m long arm and 1.15 m tentacle. | ||
| Architeuthis, giant squid sp.† | 2.25 m | O'Shea (2005a) | |||
| Onykia robusta, robust clubhook squid | 2 m | Norman (2000:174) | Kubodera et al. (1998) give maximum of at least 1.615 m. | ||
| Megalocranchia fisheri | 1.8 m | Tsuchiya & Okutani (1993) | |||
| Taningia danae, Dana octopus squid | 1.7 m | Nesis (1982) | |||
| Dosidicus gigas, Humboldt Squid | 1.5 m | Norman (2000:165) | |||
| Kondakovia longimana | probably 1.15+ m (estimate) | O'Shea (2005b) | Longest confirmed specimen measures 0.85 m (O'Shea, 2005b). Total length to at least 2.3 m (Carrington, 2000). | ||
| Lepidoteuthis grimaldii | 1 m | Young & Vecchione (2009) | |||
| Thysanoteuthis rhombus, diamondback squid | 1 m | Roper et al. (1984) | Commonly grows to a mantle length of 0.6 m (Roper et al., 1984). | ||
| cf. Magnapinna, bigfin squid | ~1 m (estimate) | Vecchione et al. (2001) | Estimate based on specimen observed by ROV Tiburon in May 2001, north of Oahu, Hawaii, at a depth of 3380 m. | ||
| Loligo forbesii | <90cm | ||||
| Vampyromorphida (Vampire Squid) (only one extant species) | |||||
| Species | Maximum mantle length | References | Notes | ||
| Vampyroteuthis infernalis | 0.13 m | Nesis (1982) | |||
^ †The taxonomy of the giant squid has not been entirely resolved. Lumpers and splitters may propose as many as eight species or as few as one. No genetic or physical basis for distinguishing between the named species has been proposed.
Total length
A long-arm squid (cf. Magnapinna), one of the longest known cephalopods, filmed in the Gulf of Mexico.
| Octopoda (octopuses) Not to be confused with armspan, which is approximately double the total length. |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Maximum total length | References | Notes | ||
| Enteroctopus dofleini | >6.1 m | Cosgrove (1987) | |||
| Haliphron atlanticus | 4 m (estimate) | O'Shea (2004) | Estimate based on incomplete 2.90 m specimen. | ||
| Teuthida (squid) Total length including long feeding tentacles. |
|||||
| Species | Maximum total length | References | Notes | ||
| Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni | 14 m (estimate) | O'Shea (2005a) | Estimate based on largest known beak (LRL: 49 mm). | ||
| Architeuthis sp. | 13 m (female) | O'Shea (2005a) | Measured post mortem and relaxed. Older records were exaggerated by stretching of the tentacles (O'Shea, 2005a). | ||
| cf. Magnapinna | at least 8 m (estimate) | Bolstad (2003) | Estimate based on video evidence. | ||
| Asperoteuthis acanthoderma | 5.5 m | Tsuchiya & Okutani (1993) | Length of immature specimen measuring 0.45 m ML. Largest known specimen (0.78 m ML) would presumably be longer if it were complete (Okutani, 1995). | ||
| Onykia robusta | over 4 m | A. E. Verrill (1876) | |||
| Galiteuthis phyllura | over 4 m (estimate) | Nesis (1985) | Estimate based on 0.40 m long arm and 1.15 m tentacle. | ||
Weight
File:Sepia apama 2.jpg
Sepia apama, the heaviest species of cuttlefish, is native to the southern coast of Australia.
| Octopoda (octopuses) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Maximum weight | References | Notes | ||
| Haliphron atlanticus | 75 kg (estimate) | O'Shea (2004) | Estimate based on incomplete 61.0 kg specimen. | ||
| Enteroctopus dofleini | 71 kg | Cosgrove (1987) | Weight of live specimen. There exists a highly dubious record of a 272 kg specimen (High, 1976). | ||
| Sepiida (cuttlefish) | |||||
| Species | Maximum weight | References | Notes | ||
| Sepia apama | >10.5 kg | Reid et al. (2005:68) | |||
| Sepia latimanus | 10 kg | Reid et al. (2005:92) | |||
| Sepia hierredda | >7.5 kg | Reid et al. (2005:88) | |||
| Sepia lycidas | 5 kg | Reid et al. (2005:96) | |||
| Sepia pharaonis | 5 kg | Reid et al. (2005:107) | |||
| Sepia officinalis | 4 kg | Reid et al. (2005:99) | |||
| Teuthida (squid) | |||||
| Species | Maximum weight | References | Notes | ||
| Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni | 495+ kg | [Anonymous] (2007) | Weight of mature specimen caught in early 2007. Originally estimated to weigh 450 kg (Anderton, 2007). | ||
| Architeuthis sp. | 275 kg (female) | O'Shea (2005a) | |||
| Taningia danae | 161.4 kg | Roper & Jereb (2010:266) | |||
| Onykia robusta | 50 kg | Roper et al. (1984) | |||
| Dosidicus gigas | 50 kg | Nigmatullin et al. (2001) | |||
| Thysanoteuthis rhombus | 30 kg | Miyahara et al. (2006) | |||
Shell diameter
Argonauta hians shell, 121.5 mm in diameter
Two examples of the small internal shell of Spirula spirula
| Nautilida (nautiluses) (all extant species listed) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Maximum shell diameter | References | Notes | ||
| Nautilus pompilius pompilius | 268 mm | [1] | Pisor (2005:93) lists maximum shell diameter of 254.0 mm. Nautilus repertus is treated here in synonymy with N. pompilius pompilius. Pisor (2005:93) lists 230.0 mm record for N. repertus. | ||
| Nautilus belauensis | 226 mm | Jereb (2005:54) | |||
| Allonautilus scrobiculatus | 215.0 mm | Pisor (2005:93) | |||
| Nautilus stenomphalus | 201.0 mm | Pisor (2005:93) | |||
| Allonautilus perforatus | around 180 mm | Jereb (2005:55) | |||
| Nautilus macromphalus | 180.0 mm | Pisor (2005:93) | |||
| Nautilus pompilius suluensis | 160 mm | [2] | Pisor (2005:93) lists maximum shell diameter of 148.0 mm. | ||
| Octopoda (octopuses) (all extant Argonauta species listed) Females of the genus Argonauta produce a calcareous eggcase in which they reside. |
|||||
| Species | Maximum shell diameter | References | Notes | ||
| Argonauta argo | 300.0 mm | Pisor (2005:12) | |||
| Argonauta nodosa | 292.0 mm | Pisor (2005:12) | |||
| Argonauta pacifica‡ | 220.0 mm | Pisor (2005:12) | |||
| Argonauta hians | 112.6 mm | Pisor (2005:12) | |||
| Argonauta cornuta‡ | 98.6 mm | Pisor (2005:12) | |||
| Argonauta nouryi | 95.5 mm | Pisor (2005:12) | |||
| Argonauta bottgeri | 67.0 mm | Pisor (2005:12) | |||
| Spirulida (Ram's Horn Squid) (only one extant species) The Ram's Horn Squid possesses a chambered internal shell, which it uses for buoyancy control. |
|||||
| Species | Maximum shell diameter | References | Notes | ||
| Spirula spirula | 28.8 mm | [3] | Pisor (2005:108) lists maximum shell diameter of 26.9 mm. | ||
^‡ Species status questionable.
Extinct taxa
Cast of Parapuzosia seppenradensis, the largest known ammonite species
Fossilised guards of Megateuthis gigantea (top and centre)
| Ammonoidea (ammonites) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Maximum shell diameter | References | Notes | ||
| Parapuzosia seppenradensis | 2.55 m (estimate) | Kennedy & Kaplan (1995) | Estimate based on 1.95 m diameter specimen with an incomplete living chamber. | ||
| Belemnoidea (belemnites) | |||||
| Species | Maximum rostrum length | References | Notes | ||
| Megateuthis gigantea | 0.46 m | Eyden (2003) | The whole belemnite is estimated to have been 3–5 m long. | ||
| Nautiloidea (nautiloids) | |||||
| Species | Maximum shell length | References | Notes | ||
| Cameroceras sp. | 11 m (estimate) | Teichert & Kümmel (1960) | Frey (1995) gives a maximum length of up to 6 m. | ||
| Vampyromorphida (vampire squid) | |||||
| Species | Maximum mantle length | References | Notes | ||
| Tusoteuthis longa | over 1.8 m (estimate) | Eyden (2004) | |||
See also
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References
- [Anonymous] 2007. Colossal squid may be headed for oven. Associated Press.
- Anderton, H.J. 2007. Amazing specimen of world's largest squid in NZ. New Zealand Government website.
- Bolstad, K. 2003. Deep-Sea Cephalopods: An Introduction and Overview. The Octopus News Magazine Online.
- Carrington, D. 2000. Big squid breaks record. BBC News, July 3, 2000.
- Cosgrove, J.A. 1987. Aspects of the Natural History of Octopus dofleini, the Giant Pacific Octopus. M.Sc. Thesis. Department of Biology, University of Victoria (Canada), 101 pp.
- Eyden, P. 2003. Belemnites: A Quick Look. The Octopus News Magazine Online.
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