Sex in giant squid

Nature volume 389, pages683–684(1997)Cite this article

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Abstract

Recent captures of two female giant squid ( Architeuthis ) off southern Australia have provided the first record of a mated female specimen of these almost mythical deepsea creatures. We found sperm packages (spermatophores) embedded within the skin of both ventral arms of the larger of the two specimens. It seems that male giant squids may use their muscular elongate penis to ‘inject’ sperm packages under pressure directly into the arms of females.

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Figure 1: Mated giant squid.

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Affiliations

  1. Museum of Victoria, 328 Swanston Street, Melbourne, Australia, 3000, Victoria

    • C. C. Lu

  2. Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3052, VictoriaM, Australia

    • Mark D. Norman

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Norman, M., Lu, C. Sex in giant squid. Nature 389, 683–684 (1997) doi:10.1038/39497

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