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How long would it take to become a giant squid?

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-16, 21:11 authored by Grist, EPM, Jackson, GD
Laboratory and field studies suggest that cephalopod growth occurs rapidly and is linked to temperature throughout a short life span. For giant squid such as Architeuthis, a paucity of size-at-age data means that growth is only inferred from isolated field specimens, based on either statoliths or isotopic analyses of tissue. In this study we apply simple growth models to obtain projections of the life span required to achieve the Architeuthis average body mass in scenarios which include an energy balance between rates of food intake and expenditure on growth and metabolism. Although the analysis shows that a wide range for the estimated life span is possible, energy conservation suggests that achievement of a larger size would be assisted by slower exponential growth early on. The results are compared with a sparse set of size-at-age data obtained from male and female Architeuthis wild specimens and possibly hint at some behavioural differences between males and females.

History

Publication title

Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries

Volume

17

Issue

2-3

Pagination

385-399

ISSN

0960-3166

Department/School

Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies

Publisher

Springer

Place of publication

Netherlands

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Fisheries - wild caught not elsewhere classified