It’s one of the most enduring images in folklore:  the giant squid, tentacles wrapped around a sailing ship, pulling sailors into its fearsome maw as it feeds its insatiable hunger.  Unfortunately, or fortunately, it’s also not true.  Rather than being an aggressive predator, the colossal squid is more like a lazy blob.  It might look awesome and evil, but it really just kind of floats around, waiting for food to swim by.

Not only does this new discovery raise questions about the squids and their low metabolism, it also raises questions about the squid’s role in the ocean food chain.   The lower a creature’s metabolism, the less energy it provides to predators.  Just how many squid does a shark need to eat to stay full of energy?  The shark/squid fight for ocean supremacy might be more akin to an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Still, it kind of makes sense.  If you weighed 1000 pounds, just how active would you be?  Not very, that’s for sure.

Image:  Product of Newfoundland

Tags: animal behavior, colossal squid, giant squid, squid behavior, giant squid is really lazy, lazy animals, predators, squid just lays around waiting for food, unusual animals, nature

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