Giant squid: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the giant squid lives – recorded in 9 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Architeuthis dux
Group	Octopuses, squid & cuttlefish
Status	Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	9 countries
Continents	Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America
Mass	600 lb (≈272 kg)
Height	43 ft (≈13.1 m)
Class	Cephalopod
Order	Oegopsida
Family	Architeuthidae

Where does the giant squid live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the giant squid in 9 countries and territories across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania and South America.

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.

How big is a giant squid?

Wikidata records the following for the giant squid: mass 600 lb (≈272 kg); height 43 ft (≈13.1 m).

Is the giant squid endangered?

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

What kind of animal is the giant squid?

The giant squid (Architeuthis dux) is a cephalopod in the order Oegopsida and the family Architeuthidae, genus Architeuthis. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the giant squid

The giant squid (Architeuthis dux) is a species of deep-ocean dwelling squid in the family Architeuthidae. It can grow to a tremendous size, offering an example of abyssal gigantism; recent estimates put the maximum body size at around 5 m (16 ft) for females, with males slightly shorter, from the posterior fins to the tip of its long arms. This makes it longer than the colossal squid at an estimated 4.2 m (14 ft), but substantially lighter, as it is less robust and its arms make up much of the length. The mantle of the giant squid is about 2 m (6 ft 7 in) long (longer for females, shorter for males), and the feeding tentacles of the giant squid, concealed in life, are 10 m (33 ft). Claims of specimens measuring 20 m (66 ft) or more have not been scientifically documented.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Giant squid (revision 1379689328), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q13537131 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).