But they are thought to frequent most of the world's oceans and tend to be found in temperate or subtropical waters. Not much is known about the giant squid's habitat because they are rarely observed in the wild. In addition to being one of the largest animals in the world, giant squid also has the largest eyes of any animal - their eyes alone are about the size of a dinner plate. The giant squid is estimated to have an average length of 33 feet. The largest squid measurements vary from 43 feet to over 60 feet, and the largest is thought to weigh about a ton. Measuring these creatures can be complicated since tentacles may be stretched or even lost. Measurements of the largest giant squid vary. In fact, most of what we know about giant squid comes from dead specimens found by fishermen, and it wasn't until 2006 that a live giant squid was filmed. Giant squid ( Architeuthis dux) are animals of legend - have you ever seen an image of a giant squid wrestling with a ship or a sperm whale? Despite their prevalence in ocean images and lore, these animals prefer the deep sea and are rarely seen in the wild. The squid was caught in July 2009 while conducting research off the Louisiana coast in the Gulf of Mexico. NOAA scientists with giant squid aboard the NOAA research vessel Gordon Gunter. The giant siphonophore has not been evaluated for conservation status. In the United States, they are found in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean. They are found throughout the world's oceans. Giant siphonophores measuring more than 130 feet have been found. The Portuguese man o' war is a siphonophore that lives at the ocean surface, but many siphonophores, like the giant siphonophore are pelagic, spending their time floating in the open ocean.
These organisms are specialized for certain functions like feeding, movement, and reproduction - and all strung together on a stem called a stolon so together, they act like one organism. Like corals, siphonophores are colonial organisms, so rather than one whole being (like a blue whale), they are formed by many bodies called zooids. These fragile, gelatinous animals are cnidarians, which means they are related to corals, sea anemones and jellyfish. Granted, these aren't really a single organism, but they bear mentioning in a list of the ocean's largest creatures. Giant siphonophores ( Praya dubia) can be even longer than a blue whale. David Fleetham/Visuals Unlimited, Inc./ Getty Images Threats include harvesting for their meat, skin, liver and gill rakers, entanglement in fishing gear, pollution, habitat degradation, collisions with ships, and climate change. Giant manta rays are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. They may also be seen in the Pacific Ocean off Southern California and Hawaii. In the U.S., they are primarily found in the Atlantic Ocean from South Carolina on the south, but have been spotted as far north as New Jersey.
These animals live in waters between the latitudes of 35 degrees North and 35 degrees South. The prominent cephalic lobes extending from their head help funnel water and plankton into their mouth. Giant manta rays feed on zooplankton, and sometimes swim in slow, graceful loops as they consume their prey. With their large pectoral fins, they can reach a span of up to 30 feet across, but average-sized manta rays are about 22 feet across. Giant manta rays are the world's largest ray species. The IUCN Red List estimates the worldwide blue whale population at 10,000 to 25,000.Ī Pacific Giant Manta Ray. If you live in the U.S., one of the most common whale watching destinations for blue whales is off the coast of California.īlue whales are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List, and are protected by the Endangered Species Act in the U.S. During cooler months, they migrate to warmer waters to mate and give birth.
During warmer months, they are generally found in cooler waters, where their main activity is feeding. Just to give you a better perspective, a large blue whale is about the same length as a Boeing 737 airplane, and its tongue alone weighs about 4 tons (about 8,000 pounds, or about the weight of an African elephant).īlue whales live throughout the world's oceans. Their average length is about 70 to 90 feet. The largest blue whale ever measured was 110 feet long. The blue whale is not only the largest creature in the ocean, but it's also the largest creature on Earth.
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