One of the Largest Giant Squid Washed up on Australian Beach

Scientists had a rare occasion to study one of the most impressive marine animals, which gave birth to so many legends among sailors throughout history, a large giant squid that washed up to shore on a remote Australian beach, reported Reuters.

It was really a fine specimen, but unfortunately the tentacles had been badly damaged, preventing an accurate determination of the total length. However, "it's a whopper," explained Tasmanian Museum senior curator Genefor Walker-Smith. "The main mantle is about one meter across and its total length is about eight meters."

The giant squid, a member of the genus Architeuthis, was a deep-ocean animal, whose mantle, or main body, measured 2 meters (6.5 ft) in length and 1 meter in diameter (3.3 ft). A long specimen for its family indeed, although other specimens are estimated to grow to a maximum size of 13 m (43 ft) for females and 10 m (33 ft) for males.

Only one other squid can grow even larger, the colossal squid, which can reach as much as 14 m (46 ft) in length, in fact one of the largest living organisms on Earth. The washed up squid also presents an interesting feature, the large eyes, being over 1 ft (30 cm) in diameter.

A Tasmania Parks and Wildlife spokeswoman declared that they had moved the specimen out of the water and scientists took samples from the creature before it was removed from the Ocean Beach, near Strahan, on the western coast of island state Tasmania.

Large-tentacled monsters have appeared in Scandinavian folklore since the 16th century, often described as being as large as an island capable of engulfing and sinking any ship. In New Zealand, during the late 19th century, large numbers of strandings occurred, which have since diminished but are still occasional events.

For now, scientists cannot fully explain why giant squid become stranded on shore, although some theories have been proposed, linking these events to temporary alteration of the distribution of the deep, cold water where the squid live and possibly even changes in the magnetic field.