Scientists probe giant squid sex secrets

The six-metre long, 230 kilogram squid netted off Portland in Victoria's south-west on Monday May 26, 2008. (Fisheries Victoria)

Victorian scientists are preparing to dissect a giant squid caught off the state's south-west coast last week, hoping to find out more about the enigmatic marine creature.

Early this morning staff from Museum Victoria collected a huge block of ice containing the creature, which is Australia's largest discovered giant squid.

The animal has three hearts and blue blood, boasts a donut-shaped brain that surrounds its oesophagus, is six metres long, and weighs 240 kilograms.

Dr Mark Norman, the senior curator of molluscs with Museum Victoria, says the latest discovery provides him and fellow scientists with a unique opportunity.

"This giant squid is really interesting. It is the biggest we have seen in Australia and it is a little bit bigger than some we've seen [worldwide]," he said.

"But the exceptional thing about it is that it is in very good condition in that the eyes are still intact, all the skin is still on it, the fin is still attached."

He says because its food must be swallowed through the ring-shaped brain, the head and mouth has had to adapt.

"They've got this giant beak like a giant parrot with a tongue covered in teeth, and they have to puree the food so they don't get a splitting headache every time they swallow."

While giant squids periodically wash up on beaches around the world and scientists have studied them in fits and bursts, Dr Norman says there are still huge gaps in knowledge.

Next on the agenda for the frozen body is intensive research.

"Our aim is that we will do a proper autopsy and dissection," he said.

Group sex

He says the reproductive habits of giant squids are particularly interesting and will be the focus of much study.

"[We will look at] whether it has been mated or not. Whether it is a male or female.

"Giants have very strange sexual behaviour where the male has a metre-long muscular penis that he uses a bit like a nail gun and shoots cords of sperm under the skin of the female's arms and she carries the sperm around with her until she is ready to lay her big jelly mass of a million eggs.

"[We want to find out] whether they gather somewhere together to mass-breed.

"If we get some sperm out of the arms of this animal then we can do paternity studies and see if was multiple males that are mating with her or single males.

"It is very, very strange for the systems going on down there, but because these animals are probably few and far between, we don't know how often they get together to mate."

With the animal in such good condition, the museum has been presented with a rare opportunity to glean knowledge on one of the world's most intriguing creatures.

But the general public will not be forgotten, and the giant mollusc is destined to be a museum piece eventually.

"Once we have done all the times and things we are going to do the 'Frankenstein' job and stitch it all back together and then put it on display at the museum." he said.

Adapted by an AM report by Alison Caldwell.

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