Colossal squid: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the colossal squid lives – recorded in 2 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni
Group	Octopuses, squid & cuttlefish
Status	Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	2 countries
Continents	Antarctica
Class	Cephalopod
Order	Oegopsida
Family	Cranchiidae

Where does the colossal squid live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the colossal squid in 2 countries and territories across Antarctica.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the colossal squid endangered?

The colossal squid’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Least concern” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the colossal squid?

The colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) is a cephalopod in the order Oegopsida and the family Cranchiidae, genus Mesonychoteuthis. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the colossal squid

The colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) is a species of very large squid belonging to the family Cranchiidae, that of the cockatoo squids, or glass squids. It is sometimes called the Antarctic cranch squid or giant squid (not to be confused with the giant squid in genus Architeuthis) and is believed to be the largest squid species in terms of mass. It is the only recognized member of the genus Mesonychoteuthis.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Colossal squid (revision 1380444455), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q378330 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).