A Massive Deep Sea Squid Latches on to a Swimmer and Chomps His Arm

When thinking of potential dangers in the ocean, sharks and massive whales often come to mind, but what about squid? Humboldt squid, in particular, are powerful creatures with sharp beaks and suckers covered in barbs. They’re so fierce that they’ve even earned the nickname of Diablo Rojo or “red devil”. As the man in this YouTube video quickly discovered, not even a suit of chainmail can completely withstand the squid’s raw power!

Just How Big is a Humboldt Squid?

Humboldt squid (Dosidicus gigas) are also known as jumbo squid, and it’s easy to see why — they are absolutely enormous. An adult can reach 7 feet in length and weigh 110 pounds. But what is truly incredible is that these massive sea giants begin life measuring just a quarter of an inch long. Then, in possibly as little as a year, they can grow from that tiny size to their gigantic adult form. Because they are difficult to study, scientists aren’t entirely sure how long they live. Some believe it’s only about one year, while others argue they might live up to four years. Either way, that is an incredible amount of growth in a very short amount of time!

What Do Humboldt Squid Eat — And What Eats Them?

Because Humboldt squid grow so quickly, they need to eat a lot. These jumbo-sized squid are ferocious eaters and will grab just about anything they can with their long tentacles, from tiny crustaceans to lantern fish and even other squid. In fact, they regularly practice cannibalism by attacking and eating smaller or weaker members of their own group!

Humboldt squid have barbed suckers on their tentacles that help them grip their prey. Then they use their radula (a rough, tongue-like structure) and sharp beak to slice and shred their food before quickly consuming it.

Despite their size, Humboldt squid aren’t the largest animals in the ocean and have their own predators to watch out for. Larger marine animals like sperm whales, sharks, porpoises, and swordfish hunt and eat Humboldt squid.

Interestingly, humans also actively hunt Humboldt squid. In fact, they are one of the most commonly fished squid species, particularly in Europe and parts of Asia.

Are Humboldt Squid Dangerous to Humans?

The sheer size of a Humboldt squid makes it a potentially dangerous animal. Fortunately, most beachgoers won’t ever run into these jumbo squid since they live in deeper parts of the ocean. However, divers, like in the YouTube video, could potentially encounter them. The diver in the video was prepared and wore chainmail to protect himself from the squid’s sharp beak and its many barbed suckers. But even with all that protection, the incredibly strong squid still managed to bite him.

So yes, Humboldt squid can be dangerous to humans, but are they naturally aggressive? That’s something scientists haven’t fully figured out yet. Some argue that the squid are aggressive because they have attacked divers multiple times. However, research also suggests this aggression mainly happens when the squid are feeding. When they’re not eating or hunting, the squid appear calm or even just curious. Sometimes, squid will grab a diver’s lights or cameras, taking them apart and examining the pieces, which seems more like curiosity and intelligence than natural aggression.

The main part of a Humboldt squid’s body has special color-changing cells called chromatophores. Not only can they change their overall color, but they can also make their skin flash rapidly between white and red as a warning, just like in the YouTube video.

Where Do Humboldt Squid Live?

Humboldt squid mostly live in the eastern Pacific Ocean. However, in recent years, they have been expanding their range and are now regularly seen in California. They typically live quite deep in the ocean, between 660 feet and 2,300 feet below the surface.