Eyes with a diameter of 27 centimeters: what the largest mollusks on the planet look like

Can you imagine a sea creature whose eye is larger than a human head? Of course, such animals do not live in shallow bays and even at a certain depth, and few scientists have ever seen them live. Such sea creatures with eyes up to 27 centimeters in diameter and body length up to 12-16 meters are found exclusively in deep-sea areas of the World Ocean. And these are not whales or huge octopuses, but cephalopods - giant squids.

Giant squids are relatives of octopuses, but surpass them, as well as all other representatives of mollusks, in body length. Moreover, apart from the huge worm-shaped nemerthins, these squids are the largest among all invertebrate organisms on our planet. The average body length of a giant squid is 8-10 meters, and the weight of females, which are significantly larger than males in this species, reaches 250-270 kilograms.

This species lives in the near-bottom deep-sea areas and, according to scientists, is widespread in most of the oceans. Due to the fact that giant squids live in places so hard to access for research, not as much is known about them as we would like. Despite the fact that descriptions of such animals were found in the works of ancient scientists, the first zoological descriptions of the species were made in the middle of the 19th century, and the first video frames with the participation of a living giant squid were received only in 2006. Before that, scientists made several attempts to catch and raise the animal to the surface, but they all ended in the death of squids. All specimens of animals that fell into the hands of researchers were thrown ashore by the waves or accidentally fell into the network of large fishing vessels.

The giant squid has 10 tentacles with suction cups, which are used to catch and hold prey. This species of animals eats deep-sea fish, as well as its counterparts - smaller squid in size. But the giant himself often becomes the prey of marine predators, since even powerful tentacles do not save him from sperm whales and large sharks. It should be noted that a person is not a threat to this type of meat, since the meat of this squid has an unpleasant taste. This is due to the presence in the body of the mollusk ammonium chloride - a specific substance that gives the body great ease and buoyancy. This type of squid has surprisingly large eyes, which, according to scientists, is associated with its deep-sea lifestyle, where darkness reigns. The maximum recorded eye diameter is 27 centimeters.

Scientists continue to look for ways to more detailed study of this secretive view, placing cameras with baits in the places most likely to inhabit these giants. Judging by the available data, these squids have a rather complex nervous system and a very developed brain, which is an additional obstacle to the knowledge of this unusual species.