This is a terrific notice. Deep sea squids are really interesting creatures, and now that we are culling the fishes much more common that most people thing.
This is probably, also another symptom of the hidden war for the deep-sea fisheries.
The idea that people could be eating those babies by mistake is strange. I can brag that I touched a giant squid some years ago (yup, the damned thing, literally), and the ammonia smell was in my hands for a week. Nasty and persistent. I wonder how someone could eat one of these without to puke. Long and complex previous manipulation at least I suppose.
Another interesting question is why those youngs have not been found before (never, ever, as long as I remember) as prey of cetaceans or sharks.
Not to much. The problem is that, most species of mesopelagic squids accumulate ammonia in the flesh for buoyancy. Thus, they can rest floating at a desired deep level instead spending precious energy constantly to avoid sinking or surfacing.
The white flesh have a strong odour and, as ammonia is poisonous, they are inedible for humans (unless you find a way to eliminate the excess of ammonia first). I did a quick drawn and take some measures in a piece of paper. After years, this paper still smells a little.
> Is it possible they get stinkier as they get older?
Yes but only in the first months of live. Ammonia is a mean to lower the muscle density just upon water density, so there is a limit to the amount of ammonia that a older squid can have per Kg. More ammonia and they will tend to surface.
The problem is that giant squids can not cope well with "hot" water. Their blood cells are tuned to work in cold waters (richer in dissolved oxygen). The models predict that in the sea surface they just can not breath faster enough to fit their needs, will become sluggish and die. They probably migrate to upper levels at night to hunt, but not surfacing. This is great for us because the probability of an Architeuthis stalking and snatching humans swimming in open sea is zero.
How would you tell if a shark preys upon giant squid babies when humans aren't looking? These babies look like they would quickly dissolve into mush in a shark's stomach. Maybe if you knew exactly what you were looking for, you could order a DNA analysis of the stomach contents?
Is not easy. We use the chitinous beaks, well known in older giant squid specimens, and often the only cephalopod remains in stomachs. I personally had identified thousands of deep-sea squids and octopuses in cetacean stomachs. We found some fascinating species very beautiful and weird, including huge predators also like the fabulous Taningia. But, in a 'hot' spot well known for giant squids no one was classified as "possible young Architeuthis".
They are really beautiful, elusive and, probably, a very smart superpredator also, yes. We almost do not know nothing about this or many other similar, although not so famous, animals.
Is a great video. I understand perfectly the excitation of all people involved in this recording.
This is probably, also another symptom of the hidden war for the deep-sea fisheries.
The idea that people could be eating those babies by mistake is strange. I can brag that I touched a giant squid some years ago (yup, the damned thing, literally), and the ammonia smell was in my hands for a week. Nasty and persistent. I wonder how someone could eat one of these without to puke. Long and complex previous manipulation at least I suppose.
Another interesting question is why those youngs have not been found before (never, ever, as long as I remember) as prey of cetaceans or sharks.